


love is just a daydream

by gyuhyun



Category: EXO (Band), SMTown
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Arranged Marriage, Begging, Bottom Jongdae, Heat Sex, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Multi, Non-Graphic Rape/Non-Con, Non-Graphic Violence, Royalty, Swearing, Whiny Jongdae, top suho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-07-23 18:54:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 72,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7475898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gyuhyun/pseuds/gyuhyun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In an effort for equal rights, Alpha King Joonmyun must fall in love with Jongdae, a male omega.</p><p>This fic has now been <b>edited</b> on 02/03/2017.<br/>I added the <b>last epilogue</b> on 05/04/2017</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> **This fic has been reposted on[Dreamwidth](http://wheredreamslast.dreamwidth.org/21187.html) and [Asianfanfics](http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1220884/love-is-just-a-daydream-suchen).**
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>  **Author Warnings:** This is my first time writing something this massive, not only is it suuuuper long, it's also chaptered, which is also a first. Okay, actually, I took a lot of firsts and risks with this fic. I've never written chaptered, abo, ~~mpreg~~ and arranged marriage before, but since these are the tropes I love most, I wanted to try my hand at it. If there are any inaccuracies or issues you'd like for me to address/fix with this fic you can DM me [@kyuhyunaaa](https://twitter.com/kyuhyunaaa) :D
> 
>  **ALSO** , I couldn't find fitting Archive Warnings SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE look at the tags for more elaborate warnings.

There was once an Alpha King who lived with his sons in a country called Seiocia. This Alpha King believed in fair treatment; it didn't matter to him whether you were a slave or a high ranking official. Everyone needed to work hard for themselves and their families and those that did earned his respect. He'd raised his sons with the same virtue, treating them equally. Whatever his eldest got, his two other sons did too.

But there was only one kingdom to rule and only one throne to inherit. The king found himself in a grave situation. He had taught his sons to be fair and just. Giving his kingdom to only one son didn't seem right nor fair at all. And giving the kingdom to all three sons didn't seem _wise_. The king immediately sought the advice of his council.

The council debated with the king for many days and nights before they came to an agreement. The king nodded in satisfaction when he heard what the council had to say. It was the perfect solution.

Not wanting to waste time, he called the princes into his throne room and told them of the fate that lay ahead of them. He greeted his sons with a proud smile on his face and shared with them the good news.

"My sons," he said. "I've invited you here to discuss the matters of your inheritance."

The princes, although excited, knew not to speak unless addressed. They kept their joy to themselves and straightened their backs.

The Alpha King's smile grew wider as he told them, "It has come to my attention that I have three sons fit to inherit the throne, but only one kingdom to be ruled. Through the wise advice of my council, I've been told of the vast land that encompasses my kingdom. It is with great joy that I divide the Country of Seiocia into three, where three kingdoms can be built and established. One for each of my son."

The princes smiled with gratitude and pride. All three of them dropped to their knees and bowed before their father, thanking him for his gift.

The Alpha King stood and approached his sons. He placed his hand atop the first son and said, "To my son, Ven, you will take my place on this seat and rule the kingdom I leave behind."

"It will by my honor, Great Alpha King," the first son, Ven, replied.

The Alpha King moved to the second son and did the same. "To my son, Nan, you will take with you your wife, your own council members and guards and build a kingdom in the south."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

And last but not the least, he went to his third son, put a hand over his head and said, "To my son, Don, I give you the east. Build a kingdom with your wife, your council members and guards."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The Alpha King motioned for his sons to stand. He looked into their eyes and saw the men that they were. He felt pride surge through his veins. He pulled all his sons into his embrace, no longer afraid of what the future had in store for him.

While the Alpha King aged, the kingdoms in the south and east were built and his three sons prepared for the day that they would reign.

The day came when the Alpha King closed his eyes forever. The princes mourned for their father, not as their king, but as the man who taught them all they needed in life. But they did not stay mourning forever. The kingdoms in the south and east finished long before the Alpha King died. All they needed were the occupants. The three princes knew it was time to separate.

The night before Ven's coronation, they lavishly feasted as royalty would, laughed like brothers and slept like strangers. The next day, Nan and Don watched as their brother Ven was crowned king.

Ven stood in front of his people, smiling. Because the country of Seiocia was no longer one island but three separate kingdoms, the princes had agreed to give their empire a new name.

"I stand before you all as your Alpha King, King Ven of Venocia."

Nan and Don stood along with the people and applauded him, not their princely brother, but the Alpha King.

The week following Ven's coronation was Nan's coronation. Alpha King Ven and Don came to watch. It wasn't as grand as Ven's coronation since Nan didn't have a whole kingdom filled with people yet. But it was only a matter of time.

After the crown was placed on his head, Nan stood and greeted his people. "I, Alpha King Nan, stand before you as King of Namcia."

The last coronation the Alpha Kings attended was Don's. His coronation resembled Nan's in many ways but the Alpha Kings present only took note of their brother. They watched as he accepted the crown and stood in front of them. When he spoke, all three of them knew that they would no longer be brothers. They would be kings of their own kingdoms, affiliates by blood, but nothing more.

"I stand here before everyone and accept the title of Alpha King, King Don of Donocia."

With the last of their princes crowned king, the people of Seiocia cheered, seeing nothing but a bright and wonderful future ahead of them.

But they would soon be proven wrong.

Alpha King Ven was not the king he posed himself to be. With his great persuasion skills, he encouraged his brothers to run many underground trades. He exploited the lack of people in his brothers' kingdoms to his advantage and dirtied the country his father worked hard for. 

People he thought of as weak, omegas and betas he didn’t need, he’d sell to his brothers’ kingdom as slaves. With the number of omega slaves and how most of them were women, rich alphas and betas preyed on them, pleasuring themselves with their bodies. It started a whole different trend of grooming omegas to pleasure alphas and betas alike. His brothers saw no wrong in his actions, benefiting from the market just as much as Ven.

The Alpha Kings painted their kingdoms with the blood of their sins, immersing themselves in all things that were wrong. Above all, the worst of these was their abuse of omegas.

Many people believed that omegas were useless, but due to the rule of the old Alpha King, they were treated with kindness and respect. The three Alpha Kings shared a mutual disgust for omegas, seeing them as nothing but slaves that could reproduce. What they abhorred the most about omegas was their inability to reproduce alphas and betas. They could barely give birth to a son. It was only with an Alpha King could they conceive an alpha.

However, it was believed that male omegas could birth an alpha and beta child, but many thought of them as a myth—a legend. The three Alpha Kings had never seen or smelled a male omega before, and no one in all the land talked about them as if they existed. Everyone believed they weren’t real including the three Alpha Kings.

It wasn't until many years had passed that the three Alpha Kings discovered the truth behind male omegas. They had aged and grown old, their own sons had already inherited their thrones. Wanting to spend time as brothers once more, they went back to the palace they grew up in. 

One day, they found themselves in their father's study, left untouched in his memory. They explored the room, picked books off the shelves, opened the drawers of his desk and laughed at old memories. Somehow, in all their reminiscing, they found a box hidden inside the largest drawer of their father’s desk. Inside it were letters and a large parchment paper, folded to fit the box.

The brothers read the letters and discovered that it was from their mother, love notes from when their father courted her, from when they were married, even up to her death. The brothers realized that they had never gotten to know their mother in all the years that they were growing up. They searched through the box in hopes of discovering more about their mother. The folded parchment was quickly unfolded on the floor to reveal a painting. It was a family portrait.

The brothers stared at the painting in shock. In it was their father, holding two babies and another man holding one more.

It was Don that saw the inscription at the bottom of the painting while Nan read it aloud. Ven fell to his knees as Nan’s words echoed in his ears.

_The Royal Family. Alpha King Seo, Omega Prince Consort Sia, Prince Ven, Prince Nan, Prince Don._

They remembered how their father never once talked about the one who had birthed them, how he refused to tell them even the name of their _mother_. The memory of their mother tore the Alpha King’s heart, and he did everything in his power to bury it and keep it to himself. It was a selfish choice, but the former Alpha Kings grew to stop asking for the memory of someone who had died long before they could even talk. If only they had persisted. 

But it was too late. Because of the trade they started, the discovery of male omegas only worsened the exploitation of omegas. Because they were no longer kings, they no longer held any power to change what had begun. The former Alpha Kings suffered such great heartbreaks that eventually led to their deaths.

It would be years before any real change would begin.

 

 

 

Hundreds of years had passed but the beliefs the three Alpha Kings started remained rooted deep into the histories of their kingdoms. Many people continued to believe male omegas were made to birth alphas, to be bred by alphas and nothing more. The true story of their discovery and their identity passed down to children as legends and folk tales whispered under the moonlight, forgotten under the sun.

Under this rule was when Prince Sedon was born. Prince Sedon was a prince of Venocia, brother to the Crown Prince and second son of the Alpha King. He grew up learning the same things as his brother did, taught the ways a king should be. It was to prepare him if his older brother could not rule, but if his brother were to inherit the throne, his upbringing would secure his position in the High Court after his brother.

Despite his education and social standing, Prince Sedon had more freedom compared to his brother. He roamed the castle and the Royal Garden, played with the servant children and skipped _some_ of his lessons. Often, he would find himself in the library, reading books from over hundreds of years ago. He learned better by reading about the stories of old than being told by his teachers what history was. 

Sedon didn't share his family's beliefs when it came to omegas. He thought of them as beings just like any alpha or beta who deserved to live the kind of life they did. When he told his father of these thoughts, he was reprimanded greatly. He learned then not to share his views about omegas with his family. But he had already planted the seeds, and his father never stopped doubting Prince Sedon's opinions.

When Sedon came of age, his father gifted Sedon a beautiful male omega to be his personal servant. Prince Sedon knew it was a test. Would he stick to his ideals? Or would he change them once he got to know the truth behind male omegas? Sedon swallowed the lump in his throat and accepted his gift. He would have to find out the hard way.

Their society had given great emphasis on how omegas were the world's scum. They weren't good for anything other than breeding, and even then, only male omegas had great value. As female omegas only gave birth to omegas, many people believed that their kind should disappear. But as Sedon got to know his male omega, he realized there was so much more he didn't know about them.

Docia, Sedon's personal servant, laughed like it would always be his last. Despite the harsh and horrible lifestyle he had led, Docia took great care of Sedon. Docia’s smile continued to shine bright despite the darkness that colored his life. He especially gave Sedon a warm smile, a kind of smile that made Sedon believe, once and for all, that omegas were worth saving.

It started with weeks of reading and searching. A part of Sedon knew that the legend about the first three Alpha Kings were more than just stories. He searched day and night for proof and eventually, he did. He found the box that contained the letters and the painting hidden in a compartment holding the shelves together. When Sedon had proof that male omegas had a history of ruling alongside an Alpha King, Sedon began formulating a plan, a conspiracy against the three kingdoms that ruined omegas.

Years had passed and there were many times that Sedon almost failed. All it took was one look at Docia and Sedon reminded himself of the pain Docia went through and the beautiful smile he could still have despite it all. If not him, Sedon thought, then who could give Docia and the other omegas the life they deserved? 

Sedon worked day and night, hid his work from people he didn't trust and shared it only with those he knew shared the same ideals. He met with many officials, with guards from his royal army, from his father's and even his brother’s. He traveled far to the other two kingdoms and recruited as many supporters as he could.

By the time Sedon's plans took root, all that was left was execution. Sedon held his breath and waited for the right time to come. He let out a slow breath when he’d been told that his father had died. Upon hearing the news, he knew the right time had arrived.

Sedon sent word to his people, to make their move in the dead of the night. It started with secretly transporting omegas out of the three kingdoms and taking them far out to the west. The west consisted of mostly untouched land, until Sedon discovered it. He built a fortress around the land that would house the people who supported his revolution and tasked guards from all three kingdoms to protect them.

He finished transporting his people to the west just before his brother was coronated king. He knew it wouldn't take long for other kings to notice that people were missing from their kingdoms. With that, Sedon made his final move. One night, Sedon cornered his brother, backed up by his new royal army and waged war against the three kingdoms, demanding that omegas be set free.

The Great War, as it would be called in the years to come, took over a year to finish. The three kings wouldn't give up and neither would Sedon. As time passed, more and more people were convinced that Sedon was the right cause to fight for. The three kings couldn't suffer any more losses, and Sedon was well aware of this. He used this to his advantage and made the three kingdoms, including his own, sign a treaty that would assure that the omegas in the west would be left unharmed.

Sedon didn't win the war, but he had started a revolution that would change the course of time for many years to come.


	2. Chapter 1

Joonmyun's eyes darted from the weirdly innocent smiles of the Equal Rights Union board members to the folder presented right before him. Heechul, the president of the union, leaned closer to him, as he sat by Joonmyun's left.

"Are you," Joonmyun said before Heechul could open his mouth and steal his opportunity to talk. "Telling me that to get Venocia and Donocia to sign the equal rights treaty, I have to get married? To a male omega?"

Heechul opened his mouth again to interject but Joonmyun put his hand up and continued, "Isn't that going against everything we stand for? If I marry a male omega for appearance’s sake, then what the—" before any foul words could leave his mouth, Joonmyun took a deep breath, sat up straighter and continued, "—what's the point of fighting for their rights, for their freedom since way back when if I'm literally robbing one of them of their right to choose?"

Half of the members looked away, ashamed, seeing the point in Joonmyun's words. The other half remained steadfast with their eyes fixed on Joonmyun's, challenging him to just _do it_. He fixed Heechul a long hard look. Heechul seemed unfazed, albeit a little disappointed that his plan didn't seem to get through to Joonmyun yet.

"Your Highness," Heechul began, with all the respect he could muster. "We assure you that the omega we have chosen knows full well of the consequences of your... arrangement. What's more, the public is never to find out that your marriage is for political purposes."

Joonmyun kept his hands by his side, tempted to massage his temple or pinch the bridge of his nose. "How can we be sure that Alpha King Kyuhyun will not see _this_ as a political move to get their signature?"

Heechul casted a glance at the vice president of the union, Choi Siwon, who smiled kindly at the both of them.

"Of course we've planned that far ahead, Your Highness," Siwon assured. "If you agree to the proposal, we will set in motion an elaborate set of events that will make it seem as though you and your-partner-to-be met by fate and chose to marry for love."

Joonmyun mulled it over, weighed the pros and cons as quick as he could in his head. "And what if I don't agree?" he said after a beat.

Everyone exchanged looks except for the other Alpha King, Yixing and his advisor, Lu Han, who were still new to the union. Joonmyun smiled at them from where he sat, hoping he didn't look as uncomfortable as he felt. Alpha King Yixing met his eyes, paused for a second, before returning the smile, causing a depression to form on his cheek.

Changmin, the Chief of Finance, cleared his throat. "Then we're not quite sure how else we can persuade Alpha King Kyuhyun to sign the treaty. He's pretty adamant that the only way he's going to sign the treaty is if you fall in love with a male omega."

"What does Alpha King Yunho say about all this? All I keep hearing is Venocia's side."

"Alpha King Yunho says that he will sign the treaty if and when Venocia does," Seohyun, the Head of Relations, replied.

"So if I get married, there's hope that this will all work out," Joonmyun drawled, catching the nods of the union members. "And if I don't get married, the treaty remains a dream for the omegas of Venocia and Donocia." The room grew quiet as the possible end of a dream, of years of hard work dawned on each and everyone of them. It seemed as though it would take forever before anyone spoke up.

Heechul cleared his throat, locking eyes with Joonmyun. "Look, Your Highness," his tone a little too hard, but Joonmyun was used to Heechul's character by now. "We're not asking you to make the decision right away. At least think about it with an open mind."

Joonmyun could see the hope in Heechul's eyes, the need for this plan to work. "Just one more thing," he said. He took a quick peek at the file, just enough to catch a name. "This Kim Jongdae. He's agreed with everything?"

"Yes," said everyone except for Yixing and Lu Han.

Joonmyun was taken aback, but he realized that the members must've discussed and researched everything beforehand. _So there would be no reason for me to say no_ , he thought. He glanced at the photo attached to the folder in his hands. Kim Jongdae smiled with not only his lips, but with his eyes as well. It was endearing to say the least. He took in the sharp lines of the omega's face, the crinkle at the corner of his eyes and lips and felt his heart skip a beat.

"One week," he finally said. "Give me a week to think it over and discuss it with my council."

Heechul and the others sighed in relief, while Yixing just looked on amused. A few of the members thanked Joonmyun for his decision and the others congratulated him, almost as if they were sure he would say yes.

"Alright," Heechul spoke over everyone else. "Everyone dismissed. Let's resume counsel next week, same time, same day."

Joonmyun let out a slow breath and stood up, bidding all the members goodbye and shaking their hands. The last ones to leave were Yixing and Lu Han.

"Are congratulations in order for you, Your Highness?" Yixing joked, approaching Joonmyun. Joonmyun tried his best not grimace as he smiled.

"I don't know, Alpha King Yixing, do you think they are?"

"Just call me Yixing, Your Highness. I believe that ours is a great friendship in the making," Yixing's smile grew, causing the dimple in his cheek to deepen. "And as for the matter of your marriage, I believe that like any king, you will make the right decision."

Joonmyun was taken aback at the faith behind Yixing's words before composing himself. "Thank you," Joonmyun said, bowing just the slightest as he accepted Yixing's hand in his. "And you may call me Joonmyun, Yixing," he finished before their hands separated.

Yixing bid Joonmyun goodbye and made his way out of the conference room.

"Would you like some water, Your Highness?" Minseok, his advisor and head butler, asked after the doors closed. Joonmyun slumped back on his seat at the head of the table.

"Green Tea, instead Minseok, preferably the strong kind. Please have it delivered to my study," he ordered. Minseok nodded, leaving Joonmyun in the room to fetch his drink. Joonmyun lingered for just a minute before grabbing the folder in front of him and making his way to his study.

Walking down the hall, Joonmyun allowed the portraits of his ancestors to comfort him, offering him the strength he'd need to _consider_ the proposal he'd just been given. There was a time when walking these halls were his biggest fear, afraid his ancestors would come to life and snatch him away. His father had come to comfort him then, told him how their ancestors would never steal him away from his loving family even if they were to come to life.

_"These pictures are here to remind all future kings that we are of one blood, one family. These kings are part of our family, Joonmyun, and they will guide you in ways you couldn't have imagined."_

Joonmyun gave the last portrait a sad smile, fingers almost reaching out to trace the photo.

"Father," he whispered. "You were right." His eyes lifted higher to the golden plaque at the top of the frame where his father's famous words were engraved.

_A man is not a man if he does not have integrity._

Quickly dropping his gaze, Joonmyun entered his study, grimacing at the stack of books on the floor and the papers strewn about the table. He really should remember to organize some of his things. For now, he settled for pushing papers aside so he could lay the folder flat on the table. It wasn't a thick file, only a few pages of paper containing vital information on his possible betrothed.

The picture clipped to the folder caught his attention once more. It seemed that this—Kim Jongdae, Joonmyun had to recall to refer to him by name—omega had a pretty smile to him. Tucking the photo behind the last page, Joonmyun began to read all the details he seemed to need to consider the arrangement.

"Name, Kim Jongdae. Status, Omega. Gender, Male. Fertile," Joonmyun almost choked on his own saliva at the last word. Before he could react any further, a knock sounded from the other side of the door.

"Your Highness," Minseok's voice came through. "I have your tea."

"Come in."

Minseok wasted no time in pouring Joonmyun tea from a smoking pot and offered him the cup. He set the tray and pot down on a coffee table in the corner of the room, far enough not to be knocked down by Joonmyun's clumsiness, but close enough that he could pour himself a cup if needed. Seeing as no one else was around the room, he occupied the seat before Joonmyun's desk.

"Listen to this," Joonmyun said after a sip of his tea. "It would seem that Jongdae's one impressive male omega." Joonmyun flips back and forth from the first and second page before saying, "He works for the Refugee Department as an Immigration Transition Officer and volunteers every weekend at Equal Rights Union events and missions."

Minseok's eyes widened. "Wow, that's quite an amazing track record. What else does it say?"

"He's a year younger than me. Adopted. Mother died when he was six and then a couple adopted him soon after. Graduated from Sedocia National University with a degree in Psychology." He then passed the file to Minseok so his advisor could go through it.

It seemed to take Minseok forever before he finished reading the file, but Joonmyun knew it was just his impatience that made it seem that way. "What do we think?" he asked, keeping his eyes on his cup of tea, the translucent liquid almost still in the porcelain, so unlike his muddled mind.

"I think he's perfect," Minseok said honestly.

"So you think this idea is the right choice?" Joonmyun winced at the sharp tone he hadn't meant to use. Luckily, Minseok knew him well enough, understood him and his position.

"As your Royal Advisor, I can definitely say there are benefits to a matrimony with Kim Jongdae and there are disadvantages as well. Ultimately, my job is to help you see the benefits, consider the disadvantages and leave the decision for you to make. It doesn't really matter what I think."

Joonmyun resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, but as my friend, I care about what you think."

Minseok laughed, freely and loud, and Joonmyun let a small smile slip on his face. "Honestly? If you ask me, I think you're lucky that this guy wants to marry you. I've been taking care of you since you were sixteen, Joonmyun. You're not exactly as husband material as the media plays you out to be." His advisor had the audacity to snicker, and Joonmyun just let him, too used to it by now.

"Come on, Minseok," Joonmyun begged. "Just tell me the truth."

"I _am_ telling you the truth! I don't really think this is as bad as you assume it to be. Not only do you benefit from this, but I'm sure Jongdae does too. He gets to be Prince Consort, gains fame and wealth he couldn't even possibly imagine. But more than that, more than the fame, the wealth, the title, he gets to help all those omegas out there—those who can't afford to leave Venocia and Donocia."

"What does my royal advisor think about the risks?" Joonmyun said in a serious tone that surprised Minseok. The king just laced his fingers together and waited for Royal Advisor Minseok to speak. Minseok raised an eyebrow at him before sighing.

"From what I can gather, the biggest disadvantage is that Alpha King Kyuhyun calls your bluff and doesn't sign our treaty. That means Alpha King Yunho won't sign as well and omegas in Venocia and Donocia will continue to suffer." Joonmyun opened his mouth to comment but Minseok put up a hand and continued to speak. "Of course, there is also the matter of your reputation and the people's reaction if they discover that your _supposed_ romance with an omega was all a stunt for peace and equal rights. We all know Alpha King Kyuhyun will not keep quiet and word will spread to all kingdoms. I'm sure most will see it as treachery and people from all the land will want you to step down from the throne."

Even though Minseok sounded like he was joking, Joonmyun was sure that most of what he'd said was true. Sometimes, Joonmyun wondered why he even agreed to accept Minseok as his Royal Advisor.

"Oh," Minseok continued when all Joonmyun had done was glare at him. "Of course, if and when you step down, your brother, Jongin inherits the crown. Since he's married to a male omega of his own volition, Alpha King Kyuhyun will have no reason to refuse to sign the treaty then. I guess even with all the disadvantages, it may still work out for the union."

Joonmyun sighed and pressed his fingers against his eyes, all that glaring not doing him any good. "We can't guarantee that outcome either. If I step down, who's to say that Alpha King Kyuhyun won't change his proposal when Jongin takes the crown? Or the people lose all faith in our family and have us killed for treason and then elect someone else as king? So many more things could go wrong with this plan."

"Yes, it would seem so." Minseok nodded solemnly.

A quiet second passed before Joonmyun spoke again.

"What's my biggest benefit?"

At the question, Minseok smiled.

"You fall in love, Your Highness."

 

 

And after a beat. "Oh, and omegas all over the country finally get the treatment they deserve."

 

* * *

 

When Minseok finally took things seriously, Joonmyun had enough points to weigh the pros and cons. His mind ran with a million thoughts per second, but no matter how much he convinced himself that the pros outweighed the cons, he couldn't diminish the feeling of guilt in his gut. He stared at the photo of Jongdae, laid out on top of his profile and felt like he was using the omega for selfish reasons, much like those alphas who bred omegas in the underground market. It disgusted him.

Minseok cleared his throat, drawing Joonmyun out of his thoughts. "More tea?"

Joonmyun shook his head and rested back against his chair, closing his eyes. "If it were my father," he said, voice soft and low. "What do you think he would've done?" He waited for Minseok's reply, but all he got was the sound of Minseok taking up his seat again.

"I think," Minseok said, his voice echoing in the four walls of the room. "It didn't matter what your father would've picked if he were in your position. Some way or another, he would've made it the right choice."

Joonmyun chuckled, sounding less amused than he'd intended. "That's exactly what he would've done." In times like these, he wished his father were still alive, still the king. He left so early, too soon, that he barely even taught Joonmyun the things he needed to learn before he stepped up to inherit the throne. Sometimes, Joonmyun even wished that he were his father.

"Joonmyun," Minseok said and Joonmyun perked up, realizing he'd said his last thought aloud. Minseok looked at him with pity and sympathy, understanding Joonmyun's insecurities better than anyone. Minseok then smiled at him, soft and kind, comforting. "Just because you're not your father doesn't mean you're not a good king.

"But my father would've done a better job."

Minseok shook his head. "Your father didn't have to inherit the throne at twenty-two. He took on the crown when he thought he was ready, when your grandfather knew he was ready. If your father could see you now, he would think you were doing a far better job than he would be at your age."

Joonmyun didn't know what to say to that. He'd known his father wasn't perfect, but from what he could remember during his father's reign, he might as well have been the perfect king.

"Besides," Minseok continued, when Joonmyun refused to say anything. "You're not your father. You're Alpha King Joonmyun and whatever choice you make, I and the rest of your kingdom will stand by you." When Joonmyun finally looked at Minseok, the older gave him a confident smile, as if he truly believed in Joonmyun and whatever wisdom he'd gained in his twenty-five years of living.

And that was enough, Joonmyun told himself, enough to give him strength to move forward, to take one step in the direction he thought was best, even if he did think it was wrong deep down inside. He shook all second thoughts away and returned Minseok's smile.

"Call, Heechul, tell him I want to speak with him about the arrangement. I need to know the plan before I agree to anything."

Minseok's smile was proud and confident as he stood. "Yes, Your Highness," he said, bowing before he left Joonmyun alone to ponder once more.

Joonmyun grabbed Jongdae's picture from the table and stared at it. He hoped he could do justice to that smile, somehow make this whole thing worthwhile if it were to happen.

"Father, Mother," he said, looking up at the ceiling. “Is this the right thing to do?”


	3. Chapter 2

Heechul was already seated in the smaller conference room where Joonmyun held his more private meetings. Joonmyun took a deep breath and clutched the folder tightly by his side. Nodding at Minseok to signal his readiness, his advisor opened the door.

"Heechul," Joonmyun greeted when the door opened. Heechul quickly stood and bowed, offering a short greeting before returning to his seat. "Thank you for coming on such short notice."

Heechul smiled. "For matters as urgent as this, Your Highness, I always have time."

Joonmyun nodded. He liked that about Heechul, how he gave priority to the union and could always be counted on.

"Now, Minseok tells me that you have questions, so why don't we go right into it?" He also admired Heechul's straightforwardness. It always meant getting the job done much faster and Joonmyun needed that—appreciated it even.

"Yes, well, I just wanted to make sure I have all the details I needed to fully and properly consider the marriage." Joonmyun laid out the file and gestured for Minseok to take a seat so he could lay out the tablet where all of Joonmyun's notes were written. Without even taking another glance at them, Joonmyun asked. "How did you discover Jongdae? Why do you think he's the right match for me?"

"I didn't actually discover Jongdae," Heechul said, leaning forward on the table. "After Siwon and Seohyun reported the proposal Venocia offered, we held an emergency meeting where we talked about what we could do. After numerous dead ends, Tiffany suggested a secret political marriage. The more that was said, the more it made sense.

“Soon, we were all putting out names of possible male omegas, but there were too many to consider and too little time. I came up with the idea that each of the union members would profile just one omega that they thought was worthy of the position. Without you, Alpha King Yixing, and your advisors, there would be seven possible omegas. We ended the meeting with a profile that we designed and after two days, we held another meeting to present to the union our chosen omegas."

Joonmyun nodded, a little surprised that they managed such a task at such a short time. "Who picked Jongdae then?"

"Seohyun proposed Jongdae, but we had Doyoung pick the top three omegas he thought that were the best and then we casted a vote. Jongdae won by a landslide."

"Do you happen to know why Seohyun and Doyoung picked Jongdae?"

"Luckily, I do. It would seem that Jongdae has often worked closely with the Seohyun's projects within the union and they became somewhat friends a few years ago. Seohyun swears he's the most dedicated omega she's ever met and that's saying a lot considering she's an omega too. As for Doyoung, he said and I quote, 'I think he has the face Joonmyun hyung would like.'"

Joonmyun almost, _almost_ , palmed himself in the face, but he kept his composure and took a deep breath. Sometimes, his cousin's boyfriend was more pain in the ass than a funny companion. "Is that all he said?"

Heechul shook his head and smiled. "He also said that he'd heard of Jongdae. During one of his family's medical missions, one of the omega volunteers was talking about a Jongdae and how he helped her family migrate to Sedocia. Doyoung said that left an impression because not a lot of male omegas served under the government."

Joonmyun nodded. Now he was even more curious about Jongdae. "I want to see him, talk to him," he said without really thinking about it. Both Heechul and Minseok looked stunned. "If it's possible," he added when he noticed the odd looks Minseok and Heechul gave him.

Shock colored Heechul’s face for a minute before a small frown marred his face. It was quiet for a few seconds before Heechul sighed. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I don't think it would be possible for us to arrange a meeting before you've officially met."

"Why?"

"We thought that it would be more effective if you two met for the first time in an almost 'by chance' situation," Heechul explained. "It's all part of a plan that we came up with once you've confirmed that you want to push through with this."

Joonmyun nodded. He understood where Heechul was coming from, the need to stick to a plan to ensure a 100% success rate.

"I see," he said slowly. "That's also one of the reasons why I called you here. I wanted to discuss with you about this plan that you and the union came up with. I'd like to know what I'm going to go through if I accept the proposal."

"Of course, Your Highness, please give me a moment." Heechul reached around him and pulled out a laptop from his bag. "We decided it would be better if we put it in a presentation," he said as he connected his laptop to the LCD screen planted on the wall behind him.

The screen lit up then, reflecting the images on Heechul's computer.

"Operation, The Road to Love?" Joonmyun read aloud and Heechul sighed.

"It's a shared document. I have a feeling Doyoung might’ve changed it last night. Originally, we just called it 'The King's Marriage'." At Joonmyun's nod, Heechul continued to show the presentation. The next slide had a picture of 4 pink circles and arrows pointing from one circle to the other.

"Sorry for the color scheme," Heechul cleared his throat. "Tiffany and Seohyun designed the presentation."

Joonmyun hid a chuckle behind his hand. "That's fine, you may go on."

"From this presentation, we've highlighted the four main events that we'd need to focus on." Heechul then pointed to the first circle. ‘Your 'Meeting' is first," he said and then the slide changed. At the top of the slide was a box that said "Not staged" and Heechul pointed to it. "After talking with the members, we decided that it would be best if the first time you met wasn't as staged as we had originally planned."

"What was the original plan?" Joonmyun couldn't help but ask.

"Originally, we wanted you to meet Jongdae during a routine visit to the city government office. You'd be talking to a lot of officials and the Head of the Refugee Department would _introduce_ you to Kim Jongdae who was recently commended for his work. You would be seen _talking_ to Jongdae and exchanging numbers. A week after, you would begin dating."

"That sounds like a reasonable plan, why change it?"

"A lot of the members debated that it wouldn't feel real. We wanted to make it seem like a real meeting between real people so we voted it would be better if we didn't control as much of the meeting as possible."

"That... also makes sense. Alright, go on."

"As you can see from the second point, we decided that we'd only control the setting and the outcome. There are only two kinds of events that the ERU holds where in you attend: two of the nationwide monthly medical missions and the Annual ERU Ball. These are also events that Jongdae has attended in the past and meeting him through such an event would both be considered almost fate-like and public enough to draw attention."

"But how do we bump into each other?"

Heechul paused. "Well, that is up to the both of you really. We know that both events will have a large number of people but there is at least three shots for you guys to make it happen."

Joonmyun scrutinized the plan, the slide and all the points before sighing. "Ok, so suppose we do meet, then what?"

Heechul smiled. "Of course either one of you is encouraged to make conversation, keep it going until it feels natural to ask for the other's number."

"What's next?"

"After you've successfully met, we can now brief the two of you together on the next course of actions which would be the whole dating process." At the word dating, Heechul clicked on the half circle to side of the screen that led him to another slide.

Joonmyun's eyes roamed around the similar looking slide and almost choked on one of the points. "You want us to _date_ for a year?"

Heechul opened his mouth and then closed it, looking back at the presentation and then at Joonmyun. "That would be ideal, yes. We figured that one year was just the right time to cultivate a _real and proper_ relationship, but we're also open for an early proposal, that is if Your Highness is ready for marriage."

Joonmyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He wasn't in a hurry for marriage but he also couldn't help but think about how much difference a year could make for all the omegas in the other kingdoms.

"All right," he began slowly. "What about the first point? It states we have to meet at events for a month, how do we do that?"

"From what Seohyun says, there are about three to four events in the month where you and Jongdae can _coincidentally_ meet. Of course, most of these events are omega-related but not all of them are held by ERU, which is perfect," Heechul said. "Although the events are still not clear. We will have to wait until you successfully meet with Jongdae before we can draw up a list of events that both of you will attend."

"What's next?" As soon as the words left Joonmyun's lips, Heechul changed the slide.

"The engagement is next," Heechul replied and Joonmyun's eyes take in all the points.

"Six months to plan the wedding?" Joonmyun asked, almost incredulously.

Heechul cleared his throat. "Since this is a real wedding that we are going to hold, we have to make sure that everything is perfect and fit for a royal wedding."

Joonmyun wanted to interject, to oppose such an idea but he remembered his brother's wedding, how it took them more than six months to plan the whole thing and promptly closed his mouth. He tried not to think about the omegas waiting for the treaty to be passed.

"Of course," Heechul's voice echoed in his thoughts, pulling him back to reality. "We can always hope that Alpha King Kyuhyun signs the treaty even before or after the proposal. He did say he would sign it if you _fell in love_ with a male omega. He didn't really specify for you to marry them."

"But the marriage would emphasize the idea," Joonmyun finished for Heechul. Thankfully, Heechul decided not to comment and just clicked to the next slide.

Joonmyun was worried there'd be more but his eyes only caught sight of one point, which proceeded to pull a chuckle out of him. Heechul, for the most part, looked guilty and apologetic as he saw and read the slide.

_If this doesn’t work, you can divorce! - Doyoung_

"Was there anything important on that part of the presentation?" Joonmyun asked before Heechul could apologize.

"It was only one point that said 'After: Contact Alpha Kings and hold meeting.' We knew that the probability of them signing the treaty after the wedding would be higher than before it."

"Is there a back up plan?"

"None so far, Your Highness. Do you want us to come up with one?"

Joonmyun hummed and thought about it. "Not yet. I haven't even decided if I'd push through with the idea." After a beat, he added. "Please also send me the presentation so I can review it." Minseok got up from his seat and instructed Heechul on how to send the document.

"Will Jongdae get briefed about the plans?" Joonmyun found himself asking.

"Yes. If you agree to this, either Seohyun or I will talk to him immediately and show him the same presentation."

Joonmyun took a deep breath and then stood up. "Thank you, Heechul," he said, offering his hand. Heechul accepted and shook it. "I think that will be all."

"You're more than welcome, Your Highness." Heechul bowed and fixed his things.

Before Heechul could leave, could even turn his back on Joonmyun and Minseok, Joonmyun spoke, "I'll give you my reply during next week's union meeting."

Heechul looked surprised for about half a second before he smiled. "Yes, of course, Your Highness. If you think of any more questions before the meeting, please don't hesitate to contact me. Have a good day." After bowing, Heechul left and Joonmyun slumped just a little.

"What do you think?" Minseok asked when they were sure no one else could hear.

Joonmyun looked at the blank screen and then at Minseok. "I don't exactly have any reason to refuse."

"If you want to think about it some more, Heechul also sent you a copy of the document that contains all the notes for the presentation. He said it would help explain a lot of the points in the powerpoint." Minseok handed Joonmyun the tablet, the document already open for Joonmyun.

"This is perfect," Joonmyun whispered. "Do I have any more meetings for today?"

"You only have your scheduled video call with your brother left after dinner."

"Right, today's Friday. All right. Can you ready my notes for the Royal Council Meeting? I want to prepare for next Monday's meeting. Make sure to include this marriage idea there too. I'll be in my study going over this. Can you ask someone to bring me some green tea?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Thank you, Minseok."

Without even waiting for Minseok to open the door, Joonmyun went out of the small conference and walked to his study, his eyes scanning all the information on the document.

 

* * *

 

By the time Thursday came, Joonmyun already had his answer. After assessing the plans with his council and contacting Heechul in between, he already knew what he needed to do. All that was left now was to tell the union.

"Your Highness?" Minseok asked, hand paused on the doorknob.

Joonmyun straightened his back and flashed Minseok a quick smile. "I'm ready," he said and Minseok nodded, opening the door so Joonmyun could step inside.

After the initial greetings, Joonmyun wasted no time in giving them his reply, barely even sitting down in his haste. "I'll do it," his voice coming out softer than he intended. Seconds passed and still no one said anything; Joonmyun cleared his throat and said in a louder and more confident tone, "I'll do it."

Heechul sighed in relief while others cheered and some just looked shocked. Joonmyun smiled and finally sat back in his chair, waiting for the members to calm down so they could begin talking about the execution of the plan. When the excitement passed and everyone regained composure, Joonmyun spoke up.

"I do have just one condition." The atmosphere grew heavy but Joonmyun didn't hesitate to speak. "If at any point in time Jongdae decides that he wants to stop the whole thing, then we will."

There were a few protests, mostly from Heechul, but Yixing's voice resonated above everyone else's when he asked, "What about you, Joonmyun?"

Joonmyun gave Yixing a smile, feeling more solemn than he wanted. "I will see this arrangement to the end as it is my duty, but Jongdae may not understand the consequences until he sees it for himself. As our union focuses on giving everyone a right to choose, I at least want Jongdae to be able to exercise this right."

Yixing smiled and nodded. "Well said, Your Highness. If there are no more conditions, then I accept your terms."

Heechul wanted to say something, but before he could, board members Sooyoung and Sandara spoke up and agreed to Joonmyun's conditions. Soon, all the members joined in and all that was left was for Heechul to agree. Heechul looked at all the members of the union, including Joonmyun and Minseok and then sighed.

"I accept."

Cheers exploded around the room; members of the union congratulated and thanked Joonmyun for his decision. It took a few minutes of coaxing before the meeting could proceed. When all was quiet once more, Heechul cleared his throat and smiled at Joonmyun.

"Now, Your Highness, let's talk about your first meeting with Kim Jongdae," Heechul said with a smile that honestly sent chills down Joonmyun's spine. He tried to shake it off and gestured for Heechul to continue. Heechul turned their attention to the screen in the room where a picture of Jongdae was displayed, the same one from his file. "After we finalize the details of this meeting, we will tell Mr. Kim everything we have agreed on, as well as the the conditions our Alpha King has requested."

Just then, Seohyun stood up and the screen changed to the logos and banners of her upcoming events. "These are the three events where Alpha King Joonmyun can meet Jongdae. This month's medical mission where Alpha King Joonmyun has confirmed his attendance, the October medical mission and the annual ERU ball. But we're hoping that everything goes well and they can meet on the first medical mission."

"What happens if we don't?" Joonmyun asked.

Seohyun sighed, a frown marring her face for just a second before she regained composure, as if nothing happened. "Then we will manipulate as much as we can with the second meeting to ensure the chances of it happening."

Joonmyun nodded slowly and gestured for Seohyun to go on.

"This month's medical mission is scheduled next week, Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Alpha King Joonmyun and the rest of the council members and volunteers will be at the location by seven in the morning. Ever since he graduated from college, Jongdae has always volunteered to work at the first station, the one that documents and assists the wave of patients to the medical station." Seohyun pointed at the map on screen, the one indicating the first station.

Joonmyun swallowed nervously; he could tell where this was about to go.

"We've agreed and analyzed that Alpha King Joonmyun has yet to work in the first station in the past two years, so we agreed not only will it be a great opportunity for the union, but we could also use this to our advantage. We are assigning you, Minseok and Siwon to the first station where the chances of you and Jongdae meeting will increase," Seohyun explained.

Joonmyun just barely pulled back the urge to groan. It wasn't that he hated his people or interacting with them. He loved his kingdom and the people who worked hard to maintain it, but he had a hard time with dealing with people in general. He still wasn't sure of how to speak or how to act without his council telling him what to do. But as much as he wanted to oppose the idea, he didn't really see any points he could use against it.

"I understand," Joonmyun began, careful not to sigh and show his frustration. "What else is on the plan?"

"Siwon and Minseok will be in the same station so they can help you cross paths somehow," Heechul said then.

"But the rest will be up to us?" Joonmyun asked.

Heechul nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

"I will do my best so Jongdae and I will meet, but I want you to draft the plans for a possible second meeting." After a pause, he added, "Just to be safe."

"Of course, Your Highness."

And because they were already on the topic, Seohyun began to tell them their assigned stations and reminded them of the roles that they had for the medical mission.

"But just because none of you are in the first station, doesn't mean you can't help His Highness and Jongdae meet," Seohyun reminded. "We must do everything in our power for Jongdae to stay in the first station as well as His Highness."

"Thank you, Seohyun," Joonmyun said as their head of relations took her seat. She smiled at Joonmyun politely, acknowledging his words.

"Oh, one more thing, Your Highness," Heechul said. "The less people that know of the plan, the better we can execute it. No one outside the Royal Family and the Royal Council can know of this."

Joonmyun nodded. "Agreed."

"That's all for today everyone," Heechul called out. "Thank you for coming to this week's meeting. We shall finalize more details next Thursday."

Joonmyun stood up and bid everyone goodbye, but even as everyone else left, he stayed in the conference, sitting down at the head of the table. _If things went well next week_ , he thought, _I'd be married in a year's time_.

Minseok cleared his throat then. "Would you like some tea, Your Highness?"

Joonmyun sighed. "Yes, please." He stood up then and made his way out the door. "Have it delivered to my room, as well as my dinner. I think I'm sleeping early tonight."

"Yes, Your Highness," Minseok bowed and waited until Joonmyun made his way to his quarters before disappearing.

Joonmyun was glad that Minseok didn't push the issue. For now, all Joonmyun wanted to do was be allowed to feel, feel the guilt, the loss and everything else he wouldn't let bother him in normal circumstances.

He walked through the halls that lead to his room, passing the one that held the portraits of his family. He slowed his steps and eyed each picture carefully. He studied his brother's wedding portrait first, the photo taken on his wedding day, happy smiles captured beautifully in print. He smiled at his brother's solo portrait next, the photo taken on the day he turned eighteen before moving to his parents' portrait.

It was a photo from their wedding day, an enlarged photograph of the one in his parents' old albums. It had his mother in her beautiful white gown, sitting down on his father's lap. His father had his eyes on his mother, a small secretive smile on both their lips.

Joonmyun could still remember asking his mother what their smiles meant, and he could still hear her answer, almost as if she was still here.

_It meant that we’re happy, that we found each other. And we knew that we were going to be together wherever our love led us. One day, Joonmyun, you will find someone you love just as much and they will rule by your side._

Joonmyun looked at his parents' portrait and then at his brother's. They all chose the people they loved, they all had that chance. They all had a choice and they all chose to marry for love. Joonmyun always dreamed of his own choice, of his own chance, that one day he would meet his own love through fate, and he would marry that one person because he wanted to, because he loved them. But Joonmyun was just a prince then.

He walked to his portrait, the photo taken from his coronation; the crown weighed heavily on his head, the robe on his back almost a burden on his shoulders. Joonmyun was king now and those dreams of love could be no more.


	4. Chapter 3

Every month, the Kingdom of Sedocia held medical missions to cater to the refugees they rescued from all over the country. From here, they could be registered, given medical attention and then be assigned to different sectors of the kingdom where they would be part of a community that would help them adapt to their new surroundings.

Before they established this system, Sedocia held them at local hospitals whenever they could to help omegas that were severely injured or harmed when they ran away from alpha and beta breeders. When the kingdom realized more than just medical attention was needed to help the victims, they began this system and eventually built a separate place so they could hold such an event. Even though it wasn't all medical, they still called it medical missions.

The building which held the missions eventually became the Public Function Hall, where events ranging from charity drives to concerts could be carried out. Today, it served its original purpose as volunteers and ERU members gathered around the large hall, divided into three different sections.

On a bright and early Saturday, this was where Joonmyun found himself, nursing a warm mug of green tea while he tried to pay attention to Seohyun's instructions. When she finished, she ushered all the members of the union to their respective groups so their leaders could properly guide them. Joonmyun made his way to the Registration sector but Heechul caught him by the arm and gave him a stern look.

"Your Highness," he said in a low voice, lips barely moving. "The rest is up to you."

Joonmyun tried not to grimace as he nodded. As if catching the incident, Yixing came up to him then, patted him on the shoulder and wished him luck before he went with the group assigned to Medical. Joonmyun thanked him, appreciating the moral support. He took a gulp of his green tea and let it do its wonders.

"Good morning, everyone," a voice called out. Joonmyun took it as his cue to group with the other volunteers, standing side by side Minseok and Siwon. "I'm Kwon Boa and I'm going to be the Registration's Team Leader. Today, we're very fortunate to have with us His Highness, Alpha King Joonmyun, Royal Advisor Minsok and ERU Vice President Siwon." The group applauded the members while they waved at everyone. "However, we must remember that just like the rest of us, they are also volunteers. Do not hesitate to ask for their help, direct them in their tasks, and if you must, correct their mistakes. Is that understood?"

At the affirmative reply, Boa then proceeded to separate the volunteers into different groups that would comprise of the Registration sector. Joonmyun tried not to frown when he found himself at the documentation tables. He listened as Boa instructed them carefully at what to do, what not to do before leading them to three long tables filled with pens and paper.

Joonmyun took one look at the stack in front of him and downed the rest of his tea. Documentation meant he'd be doing a lot of the talking, and more often than not, a lot of comforting and coaxing. He tried to give himself a small and internal pep talk before he took the pen in his hands.

"Okay, everyone!" Seohyun's voice echoed around the hall. "Let's begin!"

They opened the doors and a flood of people made their way to the registration tables. A few of the volunteers from the Registration group manned the crowd, guiding the refugees so they could easily navigate through the hall. Joonmyun found himself relying on memories of past missions to remember how they talked and greeted those that needed help. He made sure his voice was gentle and that his smile never faltered.

He started out a little shaky but took comfort in the fact that none of the refugees knew who he really was. 

“Oh,” a frail young woman—an omega, if the faint sweet scent was anything to go by—whispered as she took the seat before him. 

Joonmyun greeted her with his best comforting smile. "Hi, I'm Joonmyun. I'm here to help you fill out your forms. Can I have your name please?"

“I—I’m—oh no, I can’t remember my name. I’m sorry, it’s just you were so handsome and you looked a little like the king and just—wow, you’re even better looking than him?” 

Joonmyun held back his chuckle and tried to assist the lady as much as he could. After thanking her for her compliment and assuring her that she could take her time, the young woman eventually remembered her name and began filling up the form. She smiled at him when she finished, thanked him in her weak but joyful voice and then went on her way. 

_So maybe a few refugees do have an idea of who I am,_ he thought. 

The encounter made it easier to adapt to his job, helping him establish a rhythm. As more people began to line up, more volunteers took up the chairs beside his, helping him cater to more refugees. Even when he had to write for the weaker or more injured ones, Joonmyun found that his fingers no longer shook or mishandled the pen.

Joonmyun gave the children extra special treatment, voice gentle as he complimented them or the stuffed toys in their hands. He tried not to think about whatever they'd been through in case it brought him to tears. 

“Aren’t you the king?” most of the children asked. 

“No, I’m not. But people do say we look alike.” Joonmyun would smile and chuckle then, allowing the conversation to melt the air between them. Most of them had older companions who would apologize to Joonmyun for their frankness. 

“Please don’t worry about it. I take it as a compliment,” Joonmyun would say, but in all honesty, the turn of conversation helped him forget about the horrors these kids had gone through. 

Some of them didn’t always have older companions or anyone at all. He would do his best to cheer them up and was glad when free volunteers would accompany them, guiding them from each sector before they got dropped off to their community.

When he caught sight of the next duo, Joonmyun didn't think they'd be any different. Although the older one of the two still looked young, he looked capable enough in the way he held the young boy in his arms.

"Hi, I'm Joonmyun. I'm here to help you out fill out your forms. Can I have your names please?" He asked, keeping his tone extra soft because from up close, he could tell that the older of the two had gone through a lot. Bruises and scars marred the boy's arms, and his eyes were harder than most kids his age.

The young man quickly looked from side to side before fixing the boy in his arms. "I'm Sehun and this is Jisung."

Joonmyun nodded, quickly writing down their names before passing Sehun both papers. When Sehun reached his arm out, Joonmyun caught a quick whiff of his citrus beta scent. He swallowed thickly when he realized it was the small boy in Sehun’s arms that gave off the saccharine omega aroma. "Are you all right to write down both of your information?"

Sehun stiffened in his seat and the boy in his arms caught on as he buried his head in Sehun's chest. "Uhm—I, I can write my info down, but I don't really know much about Jisung. I just—We just escaped together."

Joonmyun reached out and stroked Sehun's arms, hoping the gesture would calm the boy down. "That's fine. You can go ahead and fill out whatever you can. Can Jisung speak?"

At the mention of his name, Jisung took one quick glance at Joonmyun before going back to his position. Despite the obvious snub, Joonmyun kept his smile gentle and calm.

"How about I fill out Jisung's form and Sehun, you can tell me what you know?"

"Okay, I think that works." Sehun fixed Jisung in his arms, one hand holding the boy while his other took hold of a pen.

"Do you know his last name?" Sehun shook his head. "Do you know how old he is or when he was born?"

Sehun bit his lip and whispered. "I think he's five but I don't really know when he was born."

"Alright. What kingdom is he from?"

"We're both from Donocia, that I'm sure of," Sehun said, with a bit of a sigh of relief.

Joonmyun wrote down all the information that Sehun could give him and frowned when he realized the most of the important ones were still blank. He turned to look at Jisung in Sehun's arms, head buried even deeper into Sehun's chest. He looked at his companions beside him, but they were all occupied. He bit his lip and took a deep breath.

"Jisung-ah," he called, voice low and soft. He pushed himself further on the table so Jisung could hear him. "I'm Joonmyun hyung and I'm here to help you, okay?"

Jisung turned his head slightly and glared at Joonmyun, lips downturned and almost seething. Joonmyun was taken aback at the anger. He'd never seen a boy so young look so angry. He almost forgot what he needed to do.

"Jisung," Sehun scolded lightly, causing the boy to bury his head back into Sehun's chest. Sehun sent Joonmyun an apologetic look but the young king just waved it away.

Joonmyun, with no other choice, moved away from his seat and bent down in front of Sehun and Jisung. "Jisung," Joonmyun said softly, careful not to touch the young boy. "I promise I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to ask you a couple of questions, is that alright?"

Jisung turned to look at Joonmyun and his frown deepened. Joonmyun saw the exact moment the boy started to cry. His eyes crinkled and his lips fell open to release the most heartbreaking sob he'd ever heard.

Sehun panicked first, looking at Joonmyun with wide eyes, like he would strike him the moment Joonmyun got the chance. Joonmyun tried not to focus on that as he turned his attention on Jisung who was slowly causing a ruckus among the crowd.

"I'm sorry," Sehun said before he tried to comfort Jisung, whispering in his ear things Joonmyun couldn't properly hear. Joonmyun gave Sehun a quick smile.

"Jisung, it's okay. We're not going to hurt you here," Joonmyun tried to reassure. He kept saying things he recalled other volunteers used but none of them seemed to work. Jisung cried and cried, his voice seemingly growing louder and louder as he did.

Before Joonmyun could even think about panicking, someone brushed past him, kneeling down in front of Jisung.

"Hey there," a soft unfamiliar voice greeted. “What’s your name?” 

Jisung continued to cry and shook his head.

“Oh dear,” the volunteer whispered. He reached around behind him and pulled out a treat from his pocket. He waved the lollipop in front of him. “Hey, it’s okay. If you tell me your name, all I’m going to do is give you this candy. Do you want a lollipop?" the soft voice asked. Joonmyun glanced at the man quickly, catching just his profile before returning his attention to a slowly calming Jisung. 

Jisung hiccuped, stared at the man and then at the candy. He bit his lip, but nodded hesitantly. “Jisung,” he whispered, hand reaching out for the treat. 

"Now that's a good boy," the man said, handing Jisung the lollipop.

Sehun nudged Jisung lightly and Jisung frowned but faced the volunteer. In the softest voice that Joonmyun could've missed, Jisung said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome!" the cheery voice rung in Joonmyun's ears, like the soft trills of a bell. "You're very polite aren't you. That's very good. I'm Jongdae." Joonmyun had to take a step back to see if he was hearing things right. “And I just have to say this, but you have a really pretty name! I think it really suits you."

"Not pretty," Jisung mumbled.

"Ah, you're right. It's a very handsome name, of course. My apologies," Jongdae said, lowering his head and then smiling at the toddler, the kind that made the corner of his lips curl that just bit more. "As an apology, I would like to be your friend, is that okay?"

Jisung looked scared for a moment, eyes going back and forth the people around him. His eyes lingered on Sehun's and Sehun nodded enthusiastically. Jisung didn't look at Jongdae but he nodded his assent.

"Wow! Thank you, Jisung-ah. I'm so glad to be your friend. How about we celebrate this friendship with chocolate?" Jongdae offered. Jisung's eyes sparkled at the mentioned treat. He didn't even hesitate to nod his head, smiling at Jongdae. Jongdae sighed in relief, a short and brief movement that Joonmyun only noticed because he'd been watching Jongdae handle the whole thing.

Jongdae turned to him then; his bright and relaxed smile quickly faltered at the sight of Joonmyun. He looked more surprised than anything, before he schooled it back into his smile. "Hey, I'll take care of this if you don't mind?"

Joonmyun, too shocked at being addressed, nodded. "I'll be right back, then," Jongdae said to the three of them. "You guys just wait here while I get some chocolates."

Joonmyun watched Jongdae walk back behind the tables, talking to someone and pointing back at them. With nothing else to do, Joonmyun got up and went back to his chair. He smiled at both Sehun and Jisung, "I hope you guys don't mind, but I'm going to assist other people now."

"Ah, no it's fine, we're sorry about earlier," Sehun said, voice low.

Before Joonmyun could say anything else, Jisung turned to him then, mouth in a small frown. "I'm sorry, too," Jisung mumbled. 

Joonmyun smiled, heart light and warm. "Don't worry about it, you two. Are you guys all right for now?"

Sehun looked at Jisung, and when the child nodded, Sehun said, "Yeah, we are. We'll just wait for Jongdae hyung."

"Sounds good."

Someone soon came over and placed a chair beside Joonmyun's, before he could ask, an adult omega appeared and Joonmyun busied himself with helping her. Jongdae came by not too long after, occupying the seat beside Joonmyun's and ushering Jisung and Sehun to take the seat in front of him.

From the corner of his eye, Joonmyun watched as Jongdae engaged both Sehun and Jisung into a conversation, occasionally filling up the form as he went. By the time Jongdae finished Jisung's form, it was time for a shift change. Joonmyun ushered the couple in front of him to the medical sector before turning back to Jongdae who waved at Sehun and Jisung.

Joonmyun took a deep breath. "Excuse me, Jongdae, right?" Joonmyun could barely hear his own words with the thundering of his heart. Jongdae stiffened in front of him before turning to him with an apologetic smile.

"Your Highness," Jongdae bowed. "I'm sorry if I acted out of line."

"It's quite all right, you don't have to bow." Joonmyun, despite being flustered, smiled kindly at Jongdae. "I really appreciate what you did back there. Thank you for helping me out. I hope you wouldn't mind if I asked for your help every now and then?"

"Yes, of course, Your Highness," Jongdae said, his tone bright and excited. And then he flushed as he added, "it would be my pleasure." 

Joonmyun could literally feel his cheeks burn, but he kept his smile cool. "Actually, would you mind joining me for lunch so I can ask you how you did that?"

"Oh, ah, sure, yeah, I mean yes, that would be great. Let me just, get my food." Jongdae disappeared in the crowd of volunteers before appearing right back, hair mussed and panting slightly. Joonmyun had to resist the urge to chuckle at the sight of him.

"Hope you don't mind, but I'll be eating with my advisor because he brought my lunch."

"That's fine. In fact, I'm incredibly honored that His Highness would even seek my advice," Jongdae said, voice filled with wonder. He seemed a little fidgety with his movements, but he sounded sincere and that amused Joonmyun.

"Please, just call me Joonmyun. I'd rather appreciate it if the refugees didn't find out I was king until much later."

Jongdae chuckled but nodded in understanding. "I could definitely see why you would do that."

Before Joonmyun could ask him to elaborate, Minseok appeared by his side, a knowing smile playing at his lips. "Your Highness, your lunch."

Joonmyun wondered if his flush was as prominent as he felt it to be. He thanked Minseok for lunch and invited him to sit down with them on a table provided for people on their breaks.

"Going back to Jisung, how were you able to know what would calm him down?"

"Children like Jisung, who've been through some kind of trauma can be triggered with words. I guessed that the kind of promises you made him may have triggered some of his experiences which caused him to react negatively, so I purposely did something that was the complete opposite of his experience. Most—" Jongdae paused, swallowing down his words before taking a deep breath, "— _handlers_ like to take everything they can from these children, verbally abusing them while they’re at it because as they are, they're of no use."

"That's why you gave him the candy, and the chocolate."

"Exactly. It's alright. There was no way you could've known what you were saying was possibly harming in any way," Jongdae said.

"What about you? How did you know?"

Jongdae's smile faltered for a split second before it came back. He took a deep breath and said, "I've volunteered quite a lot and I also studied it."

"That sounds amazing," Joonmyun said, truly awed by Jongdae's experience.

Jongdae laughed it off. "Well, I'm no king, but I try."

"I'm not that amazing, I promise," Joonmyun said, looking away and taking a bite of his meal.

"I wouldn’t say that," Jongdae drawled. Joonmyun looked up and caught Jongdae wink at him. "I mean, I’m no expert but I think you're a pretty amazing king, Joonmyun."

For some reason, Jongdae's words affected him much more than he thought it would. The flush on his cheeks felt very real and very hot. He tried to laugh it off, drinking some water in the hopes of cooling himself off.

"Why don't I help you out on our next shift?" Jongdae offered once they were almost finished eating.

"That would be great. I'd be very honored to have you help me. Thank you." 

"You're honored? Your Highness, _I'm_ the one who's honored to have the pleasure of working with you," Jongdae said sincerely, giving Joonmyun this smile where his lips curled and his eyes crinkled just the slightest. If Joonmyun were honest with himself, Jongdae looked absolutely adorable and it was setting his cheeks on fire.

"You're welcome then?" Joonmyun found himself asking instead of saying. He wasn't exactly sure what else to say to Jongdae's comments.

Jongdae laughed, shaking his head as he calmed down. "Is it just you or are all kings this polite?"

"It's definitely all kings," Minseok said then, voice low but clear enough that both Jongdae and Joonmyun heard it.

Joonmyun turned to give Minseok a look, but Jongdae just stared at Minseok, wide-eyed and confused, before holding back a snort behind his hand and then bursting out laughing once more.

"Not to sound rude or anything, but is your royal advisor always like that? Is that even allowed?" Jongdae whispered to Joonmyun once he'd calmed down.

Joonmyun sighed. "Technically, no, he's not allowed, but Minseok and I are more friends than employee-employer so I let him do as he likes when we're alone."

Minseok rolled his eyes. "I just felt the need to remind you guys that you weren't alone. In case you've forgotten."

"I'm definitely sorry for forgetting you," Jongdae apologized, bowing slightly. "I'm Jongdae by the way. I don't think we've been properly introduced."

"Royal Advisor Minseok," Minseok said, reaching out a hand to shake Jongdae's. "It's alright. My job calls for me to disappear in the background most times, but today, I'm not an advisor. I'm just a volunteer, just like Joonmyun." Minseok winked at Joonmyun and then threw a sneaky smile Jongdae's way.

They spent the rest of their lunch exchanging small talk. Jongdae talked about going to college and taking up psychology. Although it wasn't new information, the way Jongdae talked about his major, with his eyes bright and his body animated, made it that much more interesting. They talked until they had to go back to the tables where Jongdae and Joonmyun both focused on helping more people out.

Joonmyun found that he had a lot more to learn when he watched Jongdae handle some of the refugees, doing more than just talk to them in low tones. He conversed with some of them, sympathized when he could, and sometimes, he just held their hands and wished them well. Joonmyun took notes whenever he could, trying to copy some of the easier tricks that Jongdae used on some of the victims.

They barely had enough time to really talk about each other, but Joonmyun spent the rest of the day observing and learning so much from Jongdae that it felt like he properly knew this person before him.

"Jongdae." Joonmyun caught Jongdae by the arm. "I just wanted to thank you for helping me out. I learned so much from you today."

"You're welcome, Joonmyun," Jongdae said with a smile, his eyes crinkling and his chest puffed out. Joonmyun wanted to chuckle at how proud Jongdae looked but kept it in. He didn't think it would be appropriate.

From somewhere around them, Joonmyun heard someone clear their throat and it hit Joonmyun then that this was Jongdae, the Jongdae who was going to be his husband, the Jongdae who, if he recalled correctly, he needed to be forming some kind of relationship with. He knew there was something he was supposed to do but he couldn't remember. The panic in his eyes must have been clear because Jongdae leaned in and muttered with his lips barely opening, "Ask for my number."

For a moment, Joonmyun was afraid his jaw would drop, but years of training and etiquette took their effect when he slipped on a quick and easy smile.

"I hope it wouldn't be too forward of me to ask for your number? I'd really like to talk with you more if possible." Joonmyun really wanted to ask if Jongdae was as flustered as he was, if the pink in his cheeks meant what Joonmyun was thinking it meant.

"No, uh, that would be fine. Let me just get my phone." Jongdae cleared his throat and fumbled for his phone. Joonmyun was glad his body knew it had to get his phone out of his pocket too, handing it to Jongdae the same exact moment when Jongdae handed him his phone. They quickly typed their numbers, Joonmyun leaving his name blank for Jongdae to save.

Joonmyun glanced at the short and simple _Jongdae Kim_ on his and smiled.

"I look forward to hearing from you." Joonmyun offered his hand for Jongdae and Jongdae chuckled, taking it in his own.

"Likewise."

Jongdae bit his lip as he let go, eyes locking with Joonmyun's until he eventually turned away.

"Smooth, Your Highness, very smooth," Minseok whispered beside him.

"Shut up, Minseok."


	5. Chapter 4

Joonmyun sat in the large conference room, waiting for the other members of the union to fill the room. He could barely repress the yawn threatening to escape his lips at how tired he felt. They finished cleaning the hall after the mission late last night and now it was early in the morning. There was barely any time to rest. But Joonmyun, as king, didn't have much of a choice in that regard.

Yixing and Lu Han came in then, bowing to Joonmyun who greeted them.

"I hope your stay in Sedocia has been most pleasant," Joonmyun told Yixing.

"Of course!" Yixing said excitedly. "It has been great. Your kingdom is very beautiful and being able to experience the kind of work you do for people in need was a good insight. It will definitely be an eye opener to the people of my kingdom."

"I am glad and honored," Joonmyun said, smiling.

Little by little, members came in, greeting the kings until only Heechul, Seohyun, and Jongdae were the only ones missing. Joonmyun glanced at the clock over the screen ahead and turned to Siwon.

"It's unlike Heechul to be this late. What's the matter?" Joonmyun asked.

"It seems they've tasked to meet Jongdae at a place a little too far from the castle. They didn't want to risk being caught."

Joonmyun nodded. "I see."

It took them another five minutes before the door opened to reveal the trio. Jongdae looked a little embarrassed to be among them, head bowed just the slightest. When he turned to Joonmyun however, a bright smile painted his lips and he nodded towards the older in greeting. Joonmyun felt himself straighten up in his chair, smiling slightly and nodding back.

Before Jongdae could take his seat, apparently the one to the right of Joonmyun's, Heechul stood by his side and smiled at the rest of the members. "Everyone," Heechul's voice resonated against the four corners of the room. "This is Kim Jongdae, officially the future fiance of Alpha King Joonmyun."

Jongdae flushed bright red at the applause and well wishes of the members of the union. "Why don't you tell us about yourself?" Heechul urged, taking the seat beside Jongdae's.

Joonmyun watched the subtle way Jongdae's throat bobbed before speaking.

"I'm Kim Jongdae and I work at the Department of Refugees as an Immigration Transition Officer. I'm twenty-three. I came to Sedocia when I was five, and I've been living in the kingdom ever since." Jongdae looked a little nervous and he glanced at Joonmyun as if asking for help. Joonmyun had to smile at that.

"That is more than enough, Jongdae, thank you. You may take your seat." Joonmyun gestured for Jongdae to sit. Jongdae sighed and nodded, mouthing his 'thanks' in Joonmyun's way.

"Now we'll introduce the members of the union to you, although you may have met most of them, if not all, in your days of volunteering," Heechul added, gesturing to the group of people around.

"As you may know, I'm Heechul, the President of the union. Other officers of the ERU are Siwon, the Vice President, Changmin, the Chief of our Finance, which is really just a fancy way of saying our treasurer and his assistant, the auditor is Tiffany." Members whose names were mentioned waved and smiled at Jongdae.

"We have three secretaries, our main secretary, also known as the Head of Relations, is Seohyun, and then Royal Advisors Minseok and Lu Han." Seohyun waved while Lu Han and Minseok lowered their heads. "And then there's Sandara, Sooyoung, Alpha Kings Joonmyun and Yixing who are just regular board members." At the mention of the Kings, Jongdae quickly bowed his head low.

"We have one more member, Doyoung, but he's more or less honorary, useful only when we need him. And that's the rest of the ERU. Once your engagement with Alpha King Joonmyun has been finalized, you will be an official board member as well," Heechul finished, patting Jongdae on the back.

Jongdae looked a little taken aback, eyes wide as they went over everyone in the room. “I—I didn't know that."

"It is a given," Joonmyun replied instead, "that the Alpha King and the Prince Consort of Sedocia are members of the union, no matter what."

"It is one of the many roles you will take when you marry His Highness, but there's still a lot of time to get you settled into your position. For now, we shall brief you and His Highness about the situation and the next course of actions." Heechul smiled and turned to Joonmyun.

"Proceed," Joonmyun said and Heechul nodded, taking the seat.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

Heechul turned on the screen and both Sooyoung and Sandara stood up. "The next step we have for you now is to cultivate your relationship," Sooyoung began. "We have at least one year to build you two into the perfect couple that the kingdom will love. What we have planned for now are a series of arranged meetings and then a series of dates and appearances as an official couple."

"Over the course of this month, Alpha King Joonmyun is tasked to visit several government agencies as well as other functions and events Jongdae will also be attending. We will utilize these settings to build some kind of friendship between His Highness and Jongdae," Sandara added.

"The first meeting will be at the Department of Refugees where Alpha King Joonmyun will conduct his yearly routine check. Now here's the important part," Sooyoung said, turning to Jongdae. "Because His Highness will be busy talking with a lot of government officials, it's up to you, Jongdae to make your paths cross. It's highly unlikely that any of us, aside from Minseok, will be able to orchestrate your meeting."

"However, because Minseok _will_ be there, he will be in charge of informing you where they are so you can catch their attention," Sandara added.

"The next meeting will be at an ERU members and sponsors party, to celebrate the success of the previous medical mission. Since you've met twice before and have already exchanged numbers, then it will be easier to approach one another in that kind of setting.

"Please do spend a substantial amount of time together, but you're allowed to mingle separately," Sandara reminded.

"The last setup is the most staged meeting. From what we have gathered, Jongdae takes his lunch break at the same cafe every day since he started working. His Highness will be at a private event somewhere around the area and he will drop by at the cafe, seemingly out of curiosity," Sooyoung said.

"And then you will pretend to have met completely by chance, and Jongdae will ask Alpha King Joonmyun if he'd like to stay for a while to chat and Your Highness, you will accept the invitation."

"After all those, we will then move on to your very first date," Sooyoung finished. Her smile bright and wide. She and Sandara looked at each other and then gestured for Tiffany and Changmin to take the stage.

After setting up quickly, the screen changed to show the duo's presentation. Changmin started, "Moving on to your dating phase, after much deliberation and discussion, we've agreed that His Highness and Jongdae's dates have to be as real as possible."

"What do you mean exactly?" Joonmyun asked.

"Aside from a couple of key events, Your Highness and Jongdae will be allowed to go out wherever you please, whenever you please," Tiffany replied. "We will, however, be orchestrating your first date, the date you will be having on His Highness' birthday, the date on Jongdae's birthday, and other possible official date like settings like anniversaries and holidays."

"How many dates are we supposed to go on?" Jongdae blurted out, eyes a little wide and terrified. Joonmyun tried to hide his amusement before nodding at the question, turning to Tiffany and Changmin for their answer.

"We thought starting off with 2 dates per month and then gradually increasing them when the two of you were most comfortable would be a good idea, but we also thought that may be too calculated," Changmin said.

"A lot of your setup has been based on research and we thought that maybe we could skip out on statistics with your dating," Tiffany finished. "So if both of you feel like you can go on more dates earlier or later, it doesn't really matter. What matters is how the public views your relationship, whether it can be conceived as real is good enough for us."

At Tiffany's words, Jongdae turned to Joonmyun, almost hesitantly, and gave him a sheepish smile. Joonmyun did his best to return the smile, although deep down inside he worried just _how_ he was going to ask Jongdae out on a date.

"About the first date," Joonmyun decided to ask. "Do you want me to ask when we go out for coffee or a more private setting would be better?"

"We agreed that asking at the coffee shop, where someone could see you, would be better," Sooyoung answered, tilting her head in Joonmyun's direction so he could see her.

"Actually," Sandara piped in. "We have that moment sort of choreographed."

Sandara and Sooyoung smiled at each other. "We thought it would be better for you guys to know what to do so it wouldn't be completely improvised," Sooyoung started.

"It's all very simple, trust us. Before you guys go your separate ways, His Highness, should smile at Jongdae, hold his hand, or brush your fingertips against each others' and then ask him, 'Would you like to go out on a date with me?'"

Joonmyun could hear himself swallow the lump of worry and fear down his throat. He casted a quick glance at Jongdae who seemed stiff before taking a deep almost audible breath.

"Okay," Jongdae said slowly. "What else?"

“That’s all! You can now proceed with your first date then,” Sandara finished. 

Changmin cleared his throat and the rest turned their attention back on him and Tiffany. "Now, we'll give you a rundown of how your first date is supposed to be, from the setting, to things you should possibly be seen doing," Changmin explained.

"Because Alpha King Joonmyun would be the one asking Jongdae out, we thought it would be best to think of a date he would most likely go with," Tiffany began, clicking something on the remote so the screen in front would change. "We decided a simple dinner would be the best first date."

Joonmyun nodded slowly, recalling a dating tip his little brother had given him that _dinner dates were always the way to go_.

"We picked a cozy restaurant at the heart of the kingdom. It had good reviews and offers some form of privacy with their booth-like tables. But we're also planning on booking the whole place to give the impression of His Highness wanting to look good for Jongdae." At those words, Jongdae snorted, failing to keep it secret despite the hand on his face.

"Sorry," Jongdae said, an embarrassed smile on his face. "I just thought it was funny that Joon—I mean Alpha King Joonmyun would want to _look good_ for me when he's a king, and that's already impressive enough."

Joonmyun smiled in Jongdae's direction while others tried to hold their snickers and giggles in. "I rather like it," he commented and Tiffany sighed in relief.

"Really, the whole point of booking the place is to give you two as much privacy as possible. Because this is the first date, we want to make it look and seem memorable.”

"Okay, now _that_ makes much more sense," Jongdae commented. "And then what do we do?"

"Despite the private setting, we hope that you two can bond and refrain from talking about the arrangement. It would be best to use this time to further your friendship and really get to know each other as the end result would be marriage. There will be servers and staff from the restaurant in the vicinity, so please do keep that in mind."

"Oh and, if you can, please include some form of physical contact, holding hands, your feet rubbing against each others' and any other things you can think of doing," Tiffany reminded.

"And then," Changmin said. "At the end, His Highness will have to bring Jongdae home. Please make sure to walk him back to his front door and if you can, please give him a good night kiss."

Jongdae, halfway through drinking his water, spat it out and nearly choked, coughing and gasping for breath. The spectacle was enough to distract them from Joonmyun's barely audible 'what!' Heechul was immediately at Jongdae's side, offering his own untouched glass of water and patting the younger on the back. Joonmyun, still shocked, turned to Jongdae and then at Changmin and Tiffany. He didn't really know what to do, whether to make his question a little more coherent or to help Jongdae.

"I'm fine," Jongdae muttered, voice hoarse and clearing his throat. Joonmyun turned to him then, and his eyes must have screamed _worried_ because Jongdae mouthed _’I'm fine’_ to him before returning his attention to Changmin and Tiffany. "You want Alpha King Joonmyun to kiss me?"

Changmin and Tiffany shared a look before saying, "...Yes?"

"It's quite common," Changmin added. "We've done a lot of research and if both parties are attracted to each other, it would be best to indicate it with a kiss."

Heechul scoffed. "Stop acting like they asked you guys to have sex. A kiss is fine."

Joonmyun didn't even have enough time to look scandalized before Tiffany was talking again.

"It doesn't have to be on the lips, if you're both not comfortable with it. It can be on the forehead or the cheek. What matters is that you can be seen together in a romantic light."

Joonmyun really wanted to bury his head in his hands, but before he could do something improper, he took a deep breath. "All right," he settled. It seemed to be enough as everyone accepted his compliance. "But how do you expect us to remember all this?"

"Good question," Seohyun piped in. She gestured for both Tiffany and Changmin to take a seat and smiled at both Jongdae and Joonmyun. "We've decided to share with you a calendar and some documents detailing key events such as dates and fixed meetings. Each date will have a document linked with it that will contain details of your meetings." She picked up her tablet and tapped a few things before someone's notification went off. "There you go. Some of the later dates still don't have details but we'll add them in once we've finalized more of them."

"We'll also discuss them during the weekly meetings if the date happens on that week or a week before that, so we can review them over and brief you two constantly," Siwon added.

"What about the other dates, will we talk about them now?" Jongdae asked, glancing from his phone to the people in front. Joonmyun turned to Minseok and asked for his tablet so he too could check the shared documents.

"Since most of the dates happen months from now, we thought it would be best if we just briefed you about each date a week from now."

Joonmyun hummed in agreement, eyes busy as he scrolled through the calendar, opening documents whenever he pleased. "I think that should be enough time," he commented. "Thank you, Seohyun."

"You're welcome, Your Highness," Seohyun replied, taking back her seat. Heechul then stood up and clapped his hands.

"Okay, now's the time for questions. Does His Highness or Jongdae have anything you'd like us to clear?"

“Would we be allowed to message and call each other in private?” Joonmyun asked. 

“Of course! If you ever feel the need to talk about the arrangement, want to discuss the more intimate details of your dates, it’s best to do this via messaging. We suggest that you do all you can to keep building your friendship with each other.” 

“I see.”

“Anything else?” Heechul turned to Jongdae, eyes expectant. Jongdae froze for a second before glancing back at his phone, pink coloring his cheeks.

"Uhm, since you guys mentioned sex before... Are we required to have sex? Like during my heats, is that something we should do?"

Joonmyun's eyes widened, whipping his head to the side just so he could look at Jongdae. Jongdae didn't take his eyes away from his phone, not even really paying attention to his screen. 

"What?" Joonmyun said, not realizing how loud his voice was until people were looking at him. Heechul ignored him, humming thoughtfully and looking at the union members to see if he could gauge their reactions. Siwon and Changmin were discussing things heavily. Seohyun looked mostly shocked while Sooyoung, Sandara and Tiffany gushed about how nice it would be to have heat partners. Yixing and Luhan mostly whispered between themselves, with Yixing smiling in amusement.

"Personally, I don't really see why you shouldn't," Heechul finally said. "It would both be convenient for you and most couples nowadays have sex within a few months of their relationship. What do you guys think?" He threw the question at the union members.

"I think it would be better if we let the matter be discussed by Jongdae and Joonmyun," Yixing spoke up. The members, including Joonmyun and Jongdae, looked surprised for a moment before nodding their assent. "After all, it is them who will proceed with the act and heat sex is of a very different matter altogether."

"Yes, I think that would be best." Heechul nodded and then turned to Jongdae. "We'll leave it to you guys. You can do whatever makes you two comfortable. We won't force you to have heat sex, but we also won't disallow it. Just be careful and use protection." Heechul then turned to Joonmyun and eyed him for a few seconds.

Joonmyun could feel his flush deepening but he nodded. He needed to take a gulp of his water to regain composure, but everything was fine after that.

"Any more questions? Your Highness?"

"None, Heechul. I believe everything is fine and ready now."

"Okay, good. Meeting dismissed! Let's meet again next week, same time." Everyone stood up, bid their goodbyes and started leaving. Joonmyun, before Jongdae could leave, pulled him to the side and excused him from Heechul and Seohyun who would take him home.

"I just need to talk to Jongdae for a few minutes," Joonmyun said.

"Okay."

Heechul and Seohyun tried to peer through the door but Minseok closed it on them. Joonmyun sent him a look of gratitude and brought Jongdae back to where they sat, inching his chair closer to him.

"I just want to know if you're really willing to do this," Joonmyun began. "I know Seohyun and Heechul have talked to you and explained everything, but I need to hear it from you."

Jongdae smiled, soft and reassuring. "You're really kind, you know that?" Before Joonmyun could reply, Jongdae spoke again. "But yes, I know what I'm doing and I'm more than willing to be a part of this."

"Why?" The question slipped before Joonmyun could think of a proper way to word them. Jongdae didn't seem to mind as he shrugged.

"I don't know if you know this, but I think my profile already contains this information," Jongdae said, voice low and hesitant. "My mom, she was taken in by breeders." He winced at his own words but continued on. "When she finally had me, when she knew for sure she was giving birth to a male omega, she planned to get us out of Venocia. It took her five years to do it, and she had help then. Eventually, my mother and a few others escaped, but somehow she got injured or sick, and we didn't realize how fatal it was until it was too late. My mother died within the sixth month of our arrival. I had just turned six."

Joonmyun was quiet for a moment. He didn't really know what to say. Jongdae's profile definitely didn't say anything about his mother, or her being handled by a breeder. 

Of all the horror stories about omega abuse, breeding was the one Joonmyun hated the most. Alphas and betas would kidnap female omegas, breeding them until they gave birth to male omegas. Most of them died trying to conceive male omegas and those that survived to give birth to one had to suffer the death of many children before that one fated child. They were either killed off once they served their purpose or dying from various illnesses. 

"The alpha-beta couple who helped my mother escape took me in after, and when I grew old enough to even dream, I vowed that I would help omegas as much as I can." Jongdae continued, looking at Joonmyun and holding his gaze. Joonmyun could see the strength and determination in those eyes. "Venocia is known as the kingdom with the cruelest treatment of omegas. If I can help those people get the freedom that I'd gotten, if I could save those mothers before those omega children could lose them, I'd gladly do whatever it takes."

"Your profile didn't say anything about your mother and I don't think that was an easy thing to say, but thank you for sharing your story with me," Joonmyun blurted out. It was the first thing that came to mind, but it didn't sound half as bad when he said it. He took Jongdae's hand and squeezed it in comfort. "I think that if your mother could see you now, she would be very proud of the man you came to be."

Jongdae shook his head, but the flush in his cheeks was enough to tell Joonmyun that he appreciated the compliment. "Thanks," he muttered finally.

"You're welcome," Joonmyun said, smiling at Jongdae in earnest. He let go of Jongdae's hand and then took a deep breath. "And thank you as well for going this far with me. It's not easy and it will probably only get harder from here, and thank you may not be enough, but thank _you_ , Jongdae."

"Oh stop it," Jongdae said, exaggerating his embarrassment. "You're making me blush."

Joonmyun chuckled and so did Jongdae. It was quiet for a moment before Jongdae broke it, smiling sincerely and sweetly at Joonmyun.

"Like I said before," Jongdae said. "It would be my honor, Your Highness."

"Just remember that you always have the option of backing out. If or whenever you feel like you can't do this anymore, then we'll end this immediately."

"I know, don't worry. I promise to see this through as much as I possibly can." Jongdae flashed him a sincere smile that made his cheeks burn. 

Joonmyun swallowed thickly and nodded. He offered his hand to Jongdae's which the younger shook. "Then I probably shouldn't keep you."

"See you soon, Your Highness," Jongdae bid, slipping his hand away from Joonmyun's hold and walking towards the door. Before the door could close behind him, Jongdae turned to look back and met Joonmyun’s eyes. He waved at the young king, smiling so bright and wide, like he was about to laugh.

Joonmyun tried not to laugh as he waved goodbye.


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~ This chapter has not been beta-ed, so please be warned! I proofread it to the best of my abilities, though, so sorry if I missed anything! ~~

Joonmyun did as the union had instructed and met Jongdae at the Department of Refugees. All the while, he chanted a mantra of _’keep calm and act natural’_ as they greeted each other and exchanged small talk. They’d texted back and forth on what to talk about until they came up with a small list.

Jongdae, for the most part, looked relaxed and as normal as Joonmyun thought he’d be. If it wasn't for Jongdae texting him later that afternoon, he wouldn't have found out how nervous the younger had been.

They started messaging each other more often after that. In between days they couldn't meet, Jongdae would send him silly messages and ask him how he was and Joonmyun would reply. Sometimes, Joonmyun would call Jongdae on quiet nights to talk about a possible topic for small talk. It helped during the private party held for the sponsors and donators of the medical mission. They managed to keep their conversation going, discussing things from Jongdae's favorite TV show to Joonmyun's latest song recommendation.

But today, thought Joonmyun, would be the real challenge. Today, Joonmyun would spend a significant amount of time with Jongdae, practically alone, most likely eating and drinking with him. There would be no crowds to please, no _distractions_. It would be just the two of them (and Minseok, but he'd be sitting at a different table, so he wasn't _technically_ counted).

"Your Highness?" Minseok called. Joonmyun shook out of his trance and found that Minseok had the car door open.

Seeing as there were people around, Joonmyun took a deep breath and gave Minseok a semblance of what he considered to be his tired smile. "Do you think we could stop by a near by cafe?"

"Of course, Your Highness. I'll tell the driver immediately," Minseok bowed but Joonmyun could tell that he was smirking. Joonmyun thanked the other man and sat back on his seat, thinking of stories he could tell Jongdae to buy them some time.

The cafe, as Sooyoung and Sandara said, was just a few minutes away. To Joonmyun, it seemed only seconds. The car stopped in front of a quaint looking coffee shop, its colors all neutral on the outside, with warm browns and beige.

"The Little Escape," Joonmyun read the coffee shop's name printed on the pastel sign board. Through its large windows, Joonmyun spotted Jongdae somewhere further in the back, sitting on a cushioned chair all by himself. He quickly tore his gaze away from the man, knowing he needed to pretend that he just saw Jongdae by coincidence.

Once inside, Joonmyun drowned in the scent of coffee, a drug he'd been avoiding for a while now. He gave Minseok a quick smirk, before walking up the counter.

The cashier looked especially surprised to see him there, but Joonmyun just smiled at him and ordered, too excited to have a taste of the bitter beans. The cashier quickly nodded, ringing up Joonmyun's order and handing him his receipt and pager. The rest of the staff stared on with wide eyes, and Joonmyun was in a good mood so he smiled at them in return.

"Thank you," Joonmyun said excitedly. He then turned around to look at the cafe, wondering where to sit. He almost picked a table by the window but remembered Jongdae, sitting at the back waiting for him. He pretended to look further inside and then Jongdae looked up.

"Your Highness," Jongdae uttered, almost as if he was really surprised to see Joonmyun standing in front of him.

"Jongdae," Joonmyun called out. "What did I tell you about calling me 'Your Highness'?"

Jongdae flushed. "Joonmyun," he corrected.

"Are you alone?"

"Yeah, do you wanna sit with me?" Jongdae asked.

"If you don’t mind.”

“Yes, of course, please go ahead.” Jongdae stacked his papers to the side.

“Thank you.” Joonmyun gestured for Minseok to look for a different table, mostly for other people's benefit, before taking the seat in front of Jongdae.

Jongdae gave him a quick smile before, "Sorry, I just gotta take care of these; they’re for work," and went back to his papers. Joonmyun watched curiously for a few minutes while Jongdae wrote as fast as his hand would go. He was about to ask what Jongdae was doing when his pager shook the table. He quickly apologized for disturbing Jongdae and excused himself.

Joonmyun grinned at the sight of his Americano and avoided Minseok's glare when he took a long sip of the brew. It felt good to be drinking coffee again and promised himself that it would be the last for now.

"What's up with you? Why do you look so happy?" Jongdae asked, head barely lifted from his papers.

"Oh, I'm supposed to be on some kind of a coffee ban.” Joonmyun felt a faint flush on his cheeks at having been caught. “My doctor says I'm too stressed and that coffee doesn't help, so he advised that I drink green tea instead. I haven't had coffee in almost a year." He took another long sip, savoring the flavor and letting it draw out a pleased smile on his face.

Jongdae watched him—amused—shaking his head before returning to his papers. "I'm almost done," he said once more. "Just five more minutes."

"It's fine. You can take your time."

"Thank you," Jongdae replied, almost breathless. His hands made quick work of his pen, writing down even faster if that was possible. Joonmyun was happy to just watch, careful not to pry too much.

Jongdae would spin his pen in between his fingers whenever he wasn’t writing. Joonmyun had never seen something like that before and almost asked Jongdae how he did it. Someone cleared their throat somewhere not far from them and when Joonmyun looked, he saw Minseok hinting at Joonmyun to make a move.

Joonmyun opened his mouth to say something but quickly closed it when nothing came out. Aside from the fact that he didn't want to disturb Jongdae, he didn't really have anything to say. All the topics he’d thought of flew out the window, leaving him somewhat speechless. He tried to recall how they got the conversation started during the other times they met and winced when he realized it was mostly through Jongdae's efforts.

"Okay done," Jongdae said, clapping his pen down on the table. He sat back on the chair and sighed. "Sorry about that. There was some kind of emergency with Jisung's paperwork and I was the only one who could handle it."

"Jisung? The boy from the medical mission? What's wrong? Is he all right?"

Jongdae sighed, massaging his eyes. "He's okay for now. Just that there were some things we missed during the processing of his papers. Apparently, his mom was also taken in by a breeder and we just found out. Because Sehun was kidnapped into slavery, I just assumed that Jisung was the same."

"How would that affect Jisung?"

"The community we put him in with Sehun isn't as capable with children who’ve been handled by breeders. And he's been acting out recently, afraid of people touching and talking to him, clinging to Sehun even more. I had to rush his papers to get him and Sehun transferred to a different community with the medical facilities to watch over Jisung." Jongdae stayed quiet for a second before whispering, "It's all my fault. I usually have a good eye for this. Like I can tell at a glance children who are born from breeding. Jisung showed the signs, but because Sehun said he was a slave boy, I just assumed. If I hadn't screwed up, then maybe Jisung wouldn't be suffering right now."

"Jongdae," Joonmyun said, voice soft. He reached for Jongdae's glass of water and pushed it towards him. Jongdae thanked him and finished his glass. "What matters is that you caught the mistake as early as now, that Jisung is going to be transferred to a community that could better watch over him."

Jongdae bit his lip. "I just—I see myself in them sometimes. When I make a mistake, I feel like I let the five-year-old me down and I want these kids to have the same chances I got when I got here." Jongdae took a shuddering breath and Joonmyun quickly held the other's hand, squeezing it in comfort.

"Sorry," Jongdae said after a quiet moment. His eyes were rimmed red, but he looked a little better. "I was a little worried I wouldn't be able to finish these today and I kinda just blurted out whatever I wanted. You're probably overwhelmed."

Joonmyun just shook his head. "You can always tell me anything, Jongdae. We may not be all that close yet, but I hope to be someone you can trust." His grip on Jongdae's hand tightened, and he offered him a sincere smile. Jongdae returned the gesture, squeezing back.

"Wait here for a moment," Joonmyun said when their hands pulled apart. Joonmyun allowed his shoulders to slump a little when he was out of Jongdae's sight. It was easy to forget that Jongdae was born from breeding when they saw each other in this setting. But just because Joonmyun couldn't see Jongdae's past didn't mean it didn't exist. He could just imagine the horrors that Jongdae and Jisung had to live through.

Joonmyun shook the thought away and ordered Jongdae a sweet cake, something that would be enough to distract the both of them from bitter memories. He made sure to buy himself one and came back to the table with two slices of different cakes.

"You didn't have to," Jongdae said. "I can pay for my own cake, you know."

"I know. I just felt like you should be rewarded for the work and dedication you show to your cause. It's not much, but I hope it will make you feel better."

Jongdae looked down at his chocolate cake covered in chocolate icing and then beamed at Joonmyun. "This is more than enough, thank you Joonmyun."

Joonmyun smiled in relief. "You're always welcome, Jongdae."

They basked in the silence for a couple more minutes, eating their cakes and looking out the window. Joonmyun checked the time and saw they still had half an hour left. It was agreed they would part ways when Jongdae's lunch break finished.

"So," Jongdae began, eyes on his cake. "Do you think now's a good time to talk about heat sex?"

Joonmyun was glad he wasn't drinking or eating, or else he was sure he would've choked and then positively died. Jongdae took a peek at him and snorted behind his hand, failing to control his laughter. This time, Joonmyun didn't resist the glare he sent in Jongdae's direction.

"What?" Jongdae defended. "They told us to talk about it, and now's a good time. It's still early and my next heat is due next month. I'd rather be prepared beforehand so I know if I should take my suppressants."

"I—" Joonmyun took a long gulp of his coffee. "I don't know. I still think it's too early. If something happens, I don't think it would look too good for our cause."

"But what about later in the future?" Jongdae asked, and he sounded so casual, like it wasn't a discussion about them having sex and possibly making a life together. It made it even harder to respond as Joonmyun always pictured his first heat sex with his partner in a different setting.

"I really don't think it's time to be talking about this," Joonmyun settled on and Jongdae just laughed it off, but nodded in agreement.

"Alright, that's fair. But, I think I should let you know that I'm not opposed to it. I'd just appreciate a little heads up."

Joonmyun had to look away from Jongdae then. The idea of Jongdae not minding having _heat sex_ with Joonmyun sent something hot and sharp down his gut. Heat sex was used as a way to enjoy sex between partners and conception between spouses. To share such an intimate act with Jongdae—Joonmyun tried to put the thought far back into his mind, deeper into his subconscious where he would put it in a treasure chest and seal it with a lock and no key.

"I'll think about it," Joonmyun said, voice tight and throat a little hoarse. Jongdae just smirked at him through his eyelashes, taking another bite of his cake.

Desperate for something else to talk about, Joonmyun quickly steered the topic away from anything sex related. He talked about the quality of coffee in the cafe, how he liked the taste and wanted to know if Jongdae had any more recommendations when it came to their drinks. Jongdae excitedly listed him the different drinks he'd tried and how they were all good. He didn't know if Jongdae just loved _The Little Escape_ or if he understood Joonmyun's need to change the subject.

Jongdae's phone vibrated five minutes before his lunch break ended, stopping them in the middle of their conversation about Joonmyun's boring meeting. Jongdae looked at him a little sheepishly.

"I have to go," he said, almost regretfully, but Joonmyun could see the playful glint in his eyes.

"Wait," Joonmyun said, playing along. He held onto Jongdae's hand, as if to stop him from leaving, even though he was still seated. "Would it be alright if I took you out for dinner some time?"

Jongdae played the surprised look well, his lips parting open just the slightest in shock and staying quiet for the briefest of seconds before, "Like a dinner date thing?"

Joonmyun laughed, trying to play it cool. "Yes, like a dinner date thing."

"I—uh—Yeah, sure? I mean, sure." Jongdae gave Joonmyun a bashful smile. "You have my number, so just tell me where and when."

"Will do," Joonmyun squeezed Jongdae's hand and let the other stand. He stood up from his own chair as well, standing inches from Jongdae.

"It was nice seeing you today," Jongdae said, almost a whisper.

"Likewise."

Jongdae brushed past Joonmyun close enough so their fingertips grazed against each other, and then turned back slightly, winking and ending whatever facade they had just seconds before. Joonmyun grinned—amused, although he couldn't deny the tingling in his fingers from where they touched Jongdae's.

 

* * *

 

Once Joonmyun confirmed the success of the third meeting, he left the union members to handle all the necessary arrangements for the first date. He didn't know the exact day of the first date, but he'd expected it to happen soon. In the meantime, he busied himself with his own royal duties, thoughts of dates and Jongdae's strong, beautiful eyes away from his mind.

More than a week later found Joonmyun dressed and ready for his first date with Jongdae. The union briefed them just a few days before and there was no reason to feel any sort of butterflies inside, but Joonmyun couldn't help it. This would be his first date in years, and despite a lot of it being choreographed to look genuine, Joonmyun couldn't really see it that way.

He straightened his collar once more and then smiled at his reflection. He chose a simple pale blue dress shirt, tucked neatly in his dark slacks. They'd agreed on a semi-formal attire, to keep things more casual as this was just the first date. He wondered how Jongdae looked, how good he would've looked in a dress shirt.

A knock on his door disturbed his thoughts and Minseok popped in with a small frown. "There seems to be a problem with the venue," he said before Joonmyun could ask.

"What's wrong?"

"Heechul and Seohyun couldn’t book the whole restaurant early enough. They’ve been trying for a whole week but the manager has kept refusing them. They've arranged for a deal, but the best they could come up with was a private booth in a _relatively_ private area," Minseok explained.

Joonmyun sighed. It wasn't as though he was pretty particular with privacy. "Has Jongdae been informed? What did he say?"

"Jongdae says he's okay with it. He doesn't mind that there are people around, it just means you two will have more exposure and will therefore need to be more careful."

Joonmyun nodded. "I see, then there really is no reason for us not to take the deal. But just in case, I'll need you and a body guard situated somewhere near. If the restaurant can comply with that, then that'd be great. If not, then we should plan for a reschedule."

"I'll tell them," Minseok said, disappearing quickly. Joonmyun sat back on his bed, watching his reflection on the mirror. He hoped the restaurant would take the deal. The thought of taking Jongdae out some other night didn't really sit well with him. Not to mention, the kind of setback it would make on their schedule if it happened.

Minseok knocked only minutes later. "They accepted."

"That’s great. We should go then and I'll tell Jongdae we're on our way," Joonmyun said, following Minseok out of his bedroom so they could get to the car. After he'd called Jongdae, Joonmyun then called Heechul and Seohyun.

The two sounded worried and disappointed, but Joonmyun assured them that they did the best they could. They wished Joonmyun well and gave him a few tips to handle the change of scenery. There was no doubt about the attention they were going to get, so Joonmyun needed to use it to his advantage.

Jongdae lived in a quiet neighborhood known for its community that took in most refugees. The house that he lived in, although small, looked warm and cozy even from the outside. Something tugged at Joonmyun's heartstrings the longer he stared. He'd always envied children who grew up in such an environment, imagined how less suffocating it could be to be just an ordinary boy. Before he could walk further down memory lane, Joonmyun rang the doorbell.

"Coming!" a voice came from inside. Jongdae appeared no longer than a second after, barely opening the door before closing it behind him. "Hey, Joonmyun, you look good. How about we get out of here soon?" He didn't even wait for Joonmyun to reply before he was looping his hand around his arm, tugging him back to the car.

Jongdae leaned back against the leather, sighing in relief. "Sorry about that. My dads knew I was going out on a date and it was—I'd like to wait for a significant amount of time before they find out I’m dating the king." Jongdae flashed Joonmyun a cheeky smile.

Joonmyun chuckled. "You're the first person I've met who's actually embarrassed of me."

Jongdae gaped at Joonmyun's obvious joke before laughing himself. "I really think we're texting each other too much," he said in between. "You're starting to sound like me!"

"What's wrong with me talking just like you?"

"You don't know how much trouble my mouth has gotten me into before," Jongdae said, a sort of wistful hint to his tone. Joonmyun was curious all of a sudden, wanting to know more of the Jongdae from before, of his young self, possibly carefree but filled with ambition.

"So what did they do about the restaurant situation?"

"We took a private booth and because the place seems to have a lot of customers, I've decided to have Minseok and a bodyguard nearby in case of an emergency."

"Sounds like fun," Jongdae said, eyes twinkling.

"Let's just hope it's as private as they say. I've once eaten dinner with my family where the whole restaurant was staring." Joonmyun shook his head but he couldn't lift the smile off his face. "It wasn't fun then and it probably won't be as much fun now."

When Joonmyun turned to look at Jongdae, there was solemn smile playing on his lips.

"Do you ever miss them?" Jongdae asked, his voice low, like he was trying to make sure no one else but them could hear.

Joonmyun didn't have to ask to know who _them_ was. He swallowed the growing lump in his throat and debated answering the question. He barely even allowed himself to feel the deep welling sadness that came when little thoughts of his parents came by. On the other hand, thought Joonmyun, Jongdae barely knew him and could judge him less.

"Sometimes," Joonmyun said honestly, his throat tight, like he himself wasn't allowing the words to slip out. "But I try not to think about them as much as I can."

"Yeah, I get that." Jongdae scooted closer to him. "I do the same with my mom, but mostly because I can barely remember what she looks like now."

For a moment, Joonmyun had forgotten that Jongdae had lost his mother, that they were almost the same.

"Do you," Joonmyun started afraid to voice out his questions.

"Do I what?"

"Do you remember what she was like?" Joonmyun finished and then shook his head. "You don't have to answer that. I'm sorry; that was too much."

"Nah, it's nothing. I think it's pretty valid." Jongdae shrugged. "How about this? If I tell you about my mom, you tell me about your parents."

Joonmyun thought about it for a moment before, "All right."

"Deal."

Jongdae hummed, closed his eyes and opened them almost hesitantly. Joonmyun could sense the shift of ambiance around them, how Jongdae turned quiet—solemn all of a sudden.

"It's not like I don't really remember my mom," he began. "If I close my eyes, sometimes it will feel like I can hear her voice, feel the ghost of her touch. I just can't really picture her all that well anymore because I barely got to look at her.

"When you're kept for breeding, they leave you in some kind of dark and foul basement, and so the only things that I can remember from my mom was the way she always held me tight at night or how she whispered for me to never be afraid because she was gonna get me out. And then when we finally got out, I never really had a chance to memorize the way she looked." Jongdae sniffled and cleared his throat, but he kept going. "But she was a strong woman, and she fought for our freedom. She never once said that she regretted ever having me and every night she would always whisper how much she loved me."

"She sounds like a wonderful woman," Joonmyun said, reaching out to squeeze Jongdae's hand.

“Thanks.” Jongdae wiped a stray tear with his free hand and turned to Joonmyun. "Your turn."

"Where do I begin?" Joonmyun said, tightening his grip on Jongdae's hand. "My mother was like an angel to me. Up until I was five, I was sure that she was. She would tuck me in at night, and when the door opened, everything behind her would glow, so I always believed that she was an angel sent down from heaven to protect me and Jongin. My father heard this and whispered to me that he had the same thought, so I just assumed my mom was an angel."

"You're cute," Jongdae commented. Joonmyun just shook his head and continued.

"My mother, she was soft-hearted for a queen. Anything and everything made her cry, but she always had a smile on her face whenever she wasn't crying. She would often embrace me and Jongin out of the blue, her only excuse being that she loved us." Joonmyun smiled at the fond memory.

"As for my father, he was a strict man, but he loved me just the same. We spent a lot of time together. He taught me how to be a prince, how to be a respectable person, how to run a kingdom. He had such high hopes for me, but he never once said I disappointed him whenever I failed at something. My only regret is that he never saw me to be crowned king."

It was Jongdae's turn to squeeze his hand. "I'm sure wherever they are, they're looking down at you with proud eyes."

Joonmyun scoffed, the sound and reaction so foreign to him. "I don't know. I took on the crown when I wasn't ready and I still don’t think I'm ready to be king. I'm just afraid that I won't live up to my father's legacy."

"Don't be so quick to discredit your reign, _Your Highness_ ," Jongdae said, fingers tightening around Joonmyun's hold. "After all, if all this goes well, you'll be the king that officially brings justice to all omegas."

Joonmyun could feel his throat dry, but before he could reply, the car stopped.

"We've arrived, Your Highness," the driver, Taeil, said, opening his door so he could escort both Jongdae and Joonmyun out.

"Let's go?" Jongdae said, offering his hand to Joonmyun.

Joonmyun smiled and held Jongdae's hand. "Let us."

They walked in the restaurant hand in hand, Minseok and the bodyguard following after them. Heads turned their way and whispers grew louder. Joonmyun ignored them all in favor of walking Jongdae to their table. He watched Jongdae from the corner of his eye and smiled at his obvious effort to keep his gaze forward.

The private booth was just as the manager said, located in a quiet area of the restaurant. They could barely see anyone and he felt that it was the same for the other customers as well. However, Joonmyun was sure anyone close enough would try to peek into their booth to the best of their abilities. He was just glad that Minseok and the bodyguard were sat at the table beside theirs, close enough to hinder any form of commotion.

"Seiocia Delights," Jongdae read the menu aloud, eyes roaming around the place. "This is a pretty classy restaurant," he whispered.

"It's just as Changmin said. I need to impress."

Jongdae just chuckled. The waiter came then and took their orders. Despite his obvious starstruck state, he remained composed and wrote down their choices before leaving to get them their order of wine and water.

"Thank you," Joonmyun whispered once it was quiet around them once more.

"For what?"

"For what you said back in the car." Joonmyun took a deep breath. "I never really thought of it that way."

"Just stating facts," Jongdae said sincerely, patting Joonmyun's arm. "But if you really want to thank me, how about we steer clear of conversation topics like the ones in the car for now?"

"That sounds like an amazing idea."

"Now that we've laid down the ground rules, what do you wanna talk about?"

Joonmyun thought about it for a moment, before his thoughts drifted to a young Jongdae. "What were you like when you were a teenager?" The words slipped before he could stop them.

"What? Where did that come from?"

"You mentioned that your smart mouth was always getting you in trouble. You've piqued my interest."

"This is gonna be so weird," Jongdae said. "Well, these are just things I've heard other people say about me, so I can't really be sure. I try to forget my teenage self; I consider those days to be dark times. I'm sure you have a few of your own." Jongdae winked. "My best friend, his name's Chanyeol and he's a beta. He always said we had the same kind of personality, which was kind of an insult to me. He pretty much meant that we were loud and obnoxious people who were only occasionally funny."

"You must've been fun to be with," Joonmyun said sincerely. He could almost picture Jongdae back then, laughing and making jokes in his class. He would've been a sight to behold.

"What about you? What were you like when you were _just_ a prince?" There was a tiny glint in his eyes, one that was particularly amusing to Joonmyun.

"I wouldn't say I was just like any other children, but I was mostly at the castle, learning how to be a prince and occasionally, a king. I went to a regular school when I was a child, but after that, I needed to be home schooled so my classes could be integrated with subjects that I would need for when I inherited the throne. I think it was a pretty dull childhood. My favorite pastime was watching cartoons," at this he leaned in and whispered, "which is something I still do actually."

"You must've been really bored," Jongdae commented.

Joonmyun stayed quiet and thought about it for a moment. "Maybe from your point of view but I never really felt that way. Even when I was young, there was always something for me to do. I don't know if it was because I was to be king, but I can remember going out to a lot formal parties and events. From morning to night, my schedule would always be filled."

"Were you ever lonely then?"

"No, surprisingly not. I always had Minseok by my side and so was my brother, Jongin. I could even rely on both my parents," he said, remembering those times of just standing along the wall with Minseok and Jongin, sometimes with their cousins, waiting to be addressed.

Somewhere along the way, their food arrived, and they ate as much as they could while trying to keep the conversation alive. They bounced from topics of work and school, things they learned, and hobbies they loved.

Joonmyun listened when Jongdae talked, when he laughed. Jongdae used a lot of gestures to accompany his stories, so different from him who kept his hands limply by his side. He was so full of life, and Joonmyun wondered how Jongdae saw him through his eyes. Did he think Joonmyun was boring? Plain? He tried not to linger on the thought as they ate and talked some more.

Once the plates were cleared and dessert was finished, Jongdae sighed in contentment. "That was good," he said. "Thanks for taking me out to dinner."

Joonmyun smiled at him and sincerely said, "I hope we can continue to spend more time together."

"Yeah," Jongdae said, voice a breathy sigh. "I'd like that."

They waited until a few more customers left before Joonmyun asked for the bill and paid. "It's better this way," Joonmyun said. "It decreases the chance of a crowd gathering on our way out."

Once inside the car, Jongdae sighed and settled comfortably on the seat, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "I'm so full," he groaned, but there was a pleasant smile on his face.

"I'm glad you enjoyed dinner," Joonmyun said. "Is there anything you'd like to do for the second date?"

Jongdae hummed. "Nothing comes to mind. I'll think about it a little more and then text you when I come up with something fun. Did they say how soon it had to be?"

"They said they'd prefer it if we went to three or four dates before my birthday next month."

"I wonder when rumors of you dating will come up," Jongdae said, almost out of the blue. "I can almost remember how it happened with Jong—Prince Jongin."

"It's alright, you can call him Jongin. He's going to be your brother-in-law after all. I remember that too, our PR team was at a loss for words. They didn't even know Jongin was dating and therefore couldn't take down the articles before they were published." Joonmyun let out a short laugh when he remembered. "Jongin still says he doesn't regret ever coming clean about it."

"Well, he _is_ married now so I don't think there's much to regret."

"Yes," Joonmyun said, his thoughts now filled with marriage and love, and the way Jongin's eyes shone bright whenever he talked about his now-husband, Kyungsoo. “I do believe so.”

When it'd been quiet for longer than a minute, Joonmyun turned to his side and found Jongdae asleep by his side. He had to bite his lip to suppress the urge to laugh. Jongdae looked adorable, with his lips parted slightly, hair framing his face just right. He moved close to Jongdae's side and carefully moved Jongdae's head to rest on his shoulder.

The press of Jongdae's body against his felt warm and soft. It wasn't at all burdening and heavy despite the obvious weight of his head. It was comfortable if Joonmyun were to describe the feeling.

In his sleep dazzled mind, Jongdae didn't even notice that he had his head on Joonmyun's shoulder when he woke up. He quickly looked around, and then sighed when he remembered they were back in the car.

"We're in front of your house," Joonmyun whispered, watching Jongdae take deep breaths before combing a hand through his hair.

"Yeah? Thanks for taking me home," he said, opening his door the same time that Joonmyun did.

Joonmyun walked him back to the front door. They stayed quiet in those few seconds, Joonmyun reminding himself repeatedly not to forget the kiss.

"I'll see you around?" Jongdae said and Joonmyun could tell it was some sort of filler for the silence between them.

"Yes, definitely." Joonmyun swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath. "Good night, Jongdae." He leaned in, gaze focused on those lips before closing his eyes.

Jongdae's lips were a little dry, but soft, so soft that Joonmyun pressed a little closer before moving back. Jongdae stood there with his eyes closed for a split second before they opened. Red bloomed on his cheeks and he croaked out, "Good night, Joonmyun," before squeezing himself through his door.

Joonmyun smiled at Jongdae's flush even though he felt a little flustered himself. He noticed the flash of bright lights for a moment, but ignored them in favor of reminiscing the soft touch of their lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> None of the places I mentioned here or in the further/next chapters are real. As for the cartoons... I basically meant anime hahaha but of course, technically Japan doesn't exist in this universe so there's that.


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~ Sorry! This one is incredibly unbeta-ed again, but I proofread it to the best of my abilities! /o\ ~~

Joonmyun sat back on the couch of his library, settled his laptop on his lap and pressed play. His favorite cartoon of all time came out with another side story and he decided to use his day off to catch up on it. After debating between reading one of the books in the library or this, the cartoon had won over. It immediately put a smile on his face when he saw the characters, creatures from all shapes and sizes.

After about a few hours, Joonmyun's phone rang, distracting him from the video on screen. He opted to ignore the call for now, choosing his cartoon over whoever was disturbing his break. When his phone rang once again, Joonmyun took a deep breath and paused the video, frowning at the sight of the cute creatures on his screen.

He checked the screen and saw that the caller was his brother. He refused the urge to sigh. "Hello, Jongin? What's going on?"

"Nice to hear from you too hyung," Jongin said from over the phone, his tone light and cheery. "I was wondering if you could help me out in the garden right now."

"Garden? Of the castle? What are you doing here? Why aren't you at your own house?" Joonmyun couldn't help asking. He winced when he realized how that might've sounded but Jongin just laughed.

"I haven't seen my hyung in months and you already want me to leave the palace?"

Joonmyun sighed, unable to hold it in. "You know that's not what I meant." Despite not being face to face, Joonmyun smiled. "I was just wondering what you're doing here."

"Come outside and see for yourself, hyung," was all Jongin said before he cut off the call. Joonmyun frowned at his phone before glancing forlornly at his cartoon.

"Some other time then guys," he said wistfully, shutting off his laptop and exiting the library.

Joonmyun took his time walking to the garden. If Jongin was going to take time away from his cartoons, he might as well give his little brother some payback. He smiled at the evil thought and continued with his pace.

The royal garden could be found at the back of the castle, a large expanse of greenery their family and ancestors tended to. When his mother died, no one else in the family could pour their heart into it so Joonmyun hired someone else to take care of it, in memory of his mother who loved the flowers and all the plants that lived in the garden.

As he opened the door to the back, Joonmyun took a deep breath and readied himself for whatever shenanigan his brother had in mind.

"Surprise!" People shouted, streamers popping and horns trumpeting. Joonmyun was so taken aback by the sound that he almost lost his footing. He didn't, however, and that made him sigh in relief.

"Advanced Happy Birthday, Joonmyun!" they all shouted. Joonmyun smiled at the sight of his family, aunts and cousins waving and smiling at him. Jongin stood in front of them all, a cake in his hand and walked forward to Joonmyun.

"We thought since you were already booked for your birthday that we'd celebrate early this year," Jongin explained, gesturing to the cake. "Now make a wish hyung."

Joonmyun thought about it for a moment before closing his eyes. He felt a little silly making a wish now that he was almost 25 but he waved the thought away. _I wish the treaty will pass no matter what happens._ He blew out the candles soon after and before he could even open his eyes, Jongin pushed the cake towards his face and everyone cheered, children squealing in delight while the older people laughed and took pictures.

Joonmyun probably should've seen that coming. He grimaced while wiping cream off his eyes and didn’t notice when someone came to his side, swiping some of the cream off the side of his face.

"Not bad," Jongdae commented from his left. Joonmyun turned to Jongdae, surprised to see him there.

"You're here," was all he could mutter, causing the other to laugh.

"Yes, I am. Jongin invited me." Jongdae pointed to the younger Kim who was now back with the crowd caking anyone he could reach. "I think Minseok gave him my number, or at least that's what he said."

"Thank you for coming," Joonmyun said sincerely. "Do you think you could help wipe off all this cream?"

"Depends," Jongdae wiggled his eyebrows. "How do you want to wipe it off?" and added a wink that made Joonmyun laugh.

"Please use a towel.”

"You're no fun." Jongdae pouted and stuck his tongue at him. They didn't have to go far to get a towel because Minseok appeared then with one in hand.

"I thought this might happen," he said as an explanation before he joined the crowd. Both Jongdae and Joonmyun thanked him.

Jongdae both ate the cream and wiped it off, placing a small kiss to Joonmyun's cheek once he was done. Despite the uncomfortable stickiness of his face, Joonmyun felt his cheeks burn at the sign of affection from Jongdae.

"Okay,” Jongdae whispered, lightly holding onto Joonmyun's arm while they made their way to the crowd. “Give me a quick rundown of the people who know about us.”

"Aside from Jongin, his husband, Kyungsoo, my cousin Jaehyun and his boyfriend Doyoung, I think everyone else might truly believe we’re dating, judging by how close we appear to be." He gestured to the way Jongdae had his hand wrapped around Joonmyun's arm.

Jongdae winked at him. "Just doing my job."

Before Joonmyun could even laugh at the statement, someone came up to them. "Now, Joonmyun," an elderly male voice said. Joonmyun looked up to find his uncle and his wife in front of them. "Don't you think it's rude that you haven't introduced your boyfriend to your immediate family?" His tone might've sounded a little too patronizing but he had a smile on his face, just like his wife.

"Uncle Jongshin, Aunt Miwon." Joonmyun smiled up at them, hugged and kissed them in greeting before turning to Jongdae. "This is Jongdae." Jongshin and Miwon smiled at Jongdae.

"It's very nice to meet you," Jongdae said.

"We're very glad to finally meet you," Miwon said. "Imagine our shock when we heard the news about Joonmyun being spotted kissing an unidentified man in the middle of the night."

Both Joonmyun and Jongdae flushed in embarrassment. Before Joonmyun could properly respond, Jongshin chimed in.

"And to find out that it was real." Jongshin clicked his tongue and shook his head in fake disapproval. Miwon joined in before laughing, causing her husband to break character.

"Oh, you two should see the look on your faces," Miwon commented when she calmed down. "You look like you've been caught doing something wrong." She pat both of their shoulders and brought them in her arms for a short but sweet hug. "I'm very happy for the both of you." She then turned to Jongdae and in all seriousness, she said, "Take care of our little Joonbun, okay?"

"And definitely, don't break his heart," Jongshin added with a wink.

Jongdae looked too stunned to speak and nodded instead. "Good," Miwon said, kissing the top of his head.

"Well then, welcome to the family." Jongshin wrapped an arm around Jongdae's shoulder and dragged him to the heart of the crowd. "Everyone!" he shouted and Joonmyun watched in mild horror as everyone paid attention to the prince and the man beside him. "Meet Joonmyun's boyfriend, Jongdae!"

Joonmyun didn't hate family reunions, not really, but his immediate and extended family tended to go crazy in the privacy of their gardens so it wasn't always... _enjoyable_. Today was one of those days, he thought, while his extended family eagerly introduced themselves to Jongdae who was his boyfriend of barely _two_ months. His family didn't seem to mind as Jongdae told them this, welcoming him into the family by saying how _back in the day, you'd be married within the month!_.

Joonmyun decided to back up Jongdae then, giving him some space from his older cousins as well as older aunts and uncles. The tamer cousins, most of them younger, came to them and introduced themselves before going back to their parents' side. Joonmyun almost wanted to join them. Back then, that was him and a lot of his cousins.

"Joonmyun hyung," someone called out, slipping through the crowds while dragging someone behind him.

"Jaehyun, Doyoung.”

Jongdae turned to him and whispered, "They know right."

Joonmyun gave a subtle nod.

"It's nice to meet you, Jongdae hyung, I'm Jaehyun and this is my boyfriend, Doyoung," the kid said, smile bright and wide. Joonmyun bit his lip at the way Jaehyun's charms affected Jongdae. Jongdae flushed slightly and took the hands the young couple offered.

"You're Doyoung—the honorary member of the ERU?" Jongdae confirmed before letting go of the others' hand.

"Yes, I am, I'm surprised you remembered my name," Doyoung commented.

"I've got a great memorization skills," Jongdae said with a wink.

"Alright everyone," Jongin shouted. "Stop crowding the royal couple—" everyone cooed and cheered at the nickname, causing Jongdae and Joonmyun to blush, "—and let them eat." Jongin encouraged everyone to disperse, going back to their tables, and brought the couple to the table they would share.

"Hey," Kyungsoo said when they approached. "I'm Kyungsoo and you must be Jongdae." He put out his hand which Jongdae immediately accepted.

"Nice to meet you," Jongdae greeted. It was probably because of his easygoing personality that Jongdae decided to occupy the free seat beside Kyungsoo. Joonmyun took the one next to Jongdae while Jongin took his seat to the other side of Kyungsoo's.

"Thought you guys would be more comfortable seated with people who actually knew your secret," Jongin added with a soft smile. "I suggest you guys go get something to eat before the family decides to hover around you again."

Joonmyun and Jongdae shared a look before going to the table filled with food, most of them cooked from the kitchens of the castle, some brought by the families as a present to Joonmyun. Joonmyun piled his plate with food and then recommended some of the dishes he thought were good to Jongdae.

"Is your family always like this?" Jongdae whispered, making sure there was no one to listen in on them.

Joonmyun grimaced. "Not always, only when there's a private gathering like this." He gave Jongdae an apologetic smile. "Just think of it like this; Imagine a group of kids who grew up in a strict and almost suffocating environment, always being watched by the public, and then the only privacy they can get is at a private family gathering?"

"And parents approve?" Jongdae asked, a little skeptical when he eyed one of Joonmyun's older cousins belt out off-key to a popular song with a beer bottle in hand.

"Well, parents were like that too once," Joonmyun said, watching when one of the parents took out his phone to take a video. "I think a part of them believe that their kids deserve to let loose every once in awhile, better here in the presence of family than with a bunch of strangers who'll judge them for it."

Jongdae leaned into him, lips barely brushing against his ears. He froze and every hair on his body stood. "Promise me we'll educate our kids better."

It wasn't just Jongdae's sudden warmth clouding his personal space, it was also the insinuation of them having kids _together_ that made Joonmyun's throat dry all of a sudden. He gave a terse nod and tried to look for the refreshments on the table. He could almost imagine them, tiny chubby mirrors of him and Jongdae. _Goodness, they would be adorable_.

"Isn't it too early to be talking about kids?" Doyoung piped in, sidling close to Jongdae and almost giving the both of them a heart attack.

"Shit," Jongdae whispered when he turned to find Doyoung's wide smile.

"I'm glad you two seem to be getting along well," he said and followed after them when they made their way to the table.

"When you spend half the day texting back and forth, I think some kind of friendship is bound to form," Jongdae pointed out, taking back his seat. Kyungsoo wrinkled his nose when all four of them sat down, turning to Jongin to whisper in his ear before the younger disappeared.

"You okay, Kyungsoo hyung?" Jaehyun asked.

"Yeah, just the mix of smells sort of bothers me. It's okay though, I asked Jongin to get me something that would help calm me down."

"We can change tables if you like?" Jongdae said, about ready to leave.

"No, it's really fine. Besides, we thought it would be safer for you if you sat with us than others. Not to badmouth Jongin's family—Sorry, Joonmyun—but they can be a bit intrusive."

"Ah, I definitely understand that," Doyoung added in. "When Jaehyun first introduced me to the family, a lot of the aunts and uncles asked me the most embarrassing questions. I wanted to disappear!"

Kyungsoo laughed but grimaced when he remembered his own experiences. "Mine was a disaster. Even with all of Jongin's warnings, I was still unprepared." He shuddered at the memory and then turned to Jongdae, patting his thigh. "This is definitely safer."

"Thanks, guys," Jongdae commented.

Joonmyun smiled and watched as the group engaged in conversation, tossing questions about their life. Jongin came back soon enough with a bottle of tea and joined in the exchange. Joonmyun did his best to contribute, mostly pulled in by Jongin or Jongdae, but he was satisfied with just watching. He could almost see it now, the future where he and Jongdae would be in another gathering, this time with children of their own, and Jongdae mingling in the group like he'd already known them for years.

When the party died down and the cakes were gone, Joonmyun bid most of his family goodbye. Most of his immediate aunts and uncles stayed lingering, reminiscing of their days in the castle.

"Joonmyun, Jongdae," Joonmyun's Aunt Joomin called. "We just wanted to congratulate you again on your relationship," she said, pulling the both of them into a hug. Her husband, Seyoon, hugged them as well, greeting Joonmyun a happy birthday. Jaehyun and Doyoung bid them goodbye before disappearing with Jaehyun's parents.

Jongshin and Miwon came next, both of them enveloping Jongin and Joonmyun into their arms.

"If you ever need someone to talk to, always remember that I'm here for you," Jongshin whispered before he let Joonmyun go. Joonmyun smiled in the warmth of his arms. He often forgot that he had an uncle he could rely on, who would've been king if he wasn't of age.

"Thank you," he replied, voice tight and arms reluctant to let go.

"Joonmun hyung, Jongde hyung, goobye," Jongshin and Miwon's twins said, hugging Joonmyun and Jongdae's legs.

"Bye," they whispered, kissing the top of their heads before letting them follow after their parents. And then there was just Jongin, smiling at his brother, an arm loosely wrapped around Kyungsoo's waist.

"I hope you don't mind if Kyungsoo and I spend the night," Jongin said instead of goodbye.

Joonmyun smiled. "How many times do I have to tell you that this is still your home."

"Thanks, hyung." Jongin stepped forward and embraced Joonmyun. "Glad to be home," he whispered. "Happy birthday, hyung."

Once he made sure that Jongin and Kyungsoo could take care of themselves, he excused himself so he could take Jongdae home.

"Did you enjoy the party?" Joonmyun asked once inside the car.

Jongdae hummed, thinking about his answer. "It was definitely fun getting to know your family, and yeah, I think I enjoyed myself plenty enough."

"I'm glad," Joonmyun said.

"I was wondering," Jongdae started.

"Yeah?"

"Since a lot of your family members know of our arrangement, would it be okay if I told my parents the truth about us?" he asked, biting his lip soon after.

"I think that should be fair," Joonmyun said after a second of thinking. "I'm sorry you can't tell any more people, but the success of our arrangement rides on the number of individuals who believe in our relationship."

"No, yeah, I understand. My parents are definitely more than enough," Jongdae explained. "It's just that—I feel like it's unfair not to tell them anything and they're already suspecting it's me since they saw the photos from the tabloids."

"How?"

"Apparently, my parents know our front yard and neighborhood a little too well," Jongdae said with a laugh. Joonmyun laughed along too until they quieted down, reveling in the peace that now surrounded them.

No one spoke until they reached Jongdae's house, but it wasn't uncomfortable. The sun had just begun its descent, setting the sky ablaze when Joonmyun walked Jongdae to his door.

"Tell Jongin thanks for inviting me to your birthday party," Jongdae whispered, his hand settled on the door, untwisting.

"I will," Joonmyun replied, stepping closer until he barely had to lift his hand to graze along Jongdae's fingertips.

"I'll see you on your birthday," Jongdae whispered before leaning in, eyes closed. Joonmyun's heart beat wildly in his chest waiting for the press of soft lips against his own. It happened in an instant, just a quick peck and then Jongdae pulled back. Flashes of light threatened to blind them but all Joonmyun could see was the bloom of red and pink on Jongdae's cheeks as he whispered goodbye.

Joonmyun stood there stunned for a minute, head going round and round with the same thought. _That was the first time Jongdae kissed me._

 

* * *

 

The union scheduled the whole of Joonmyun’s birthday to be spent with Jongdae. Jongdae, understanding that it was his turn to impress, promised Joonmyun _a date he would never forget._

Jongdae came to the castle, picked up by Joonmyun's driver, and greeted him with a warm "Happy birthday!"

"Thank you," Joonmyun replied, unsure whether it was appropriate to put his arms around the younger. Before he could come to a conclusion, Jongdae tugged on his arm and pulled him out of the castle and into the car.

"Let's go," was all Jongdae said.

"You're not going to tell me where we're going?" Joonmyun asked, settling closer to Jongdae.

"Nope. It's supposed to be a surprise."

Joonmyun just nodded when Jongdae continued to keep his silence. The younger practically bounced in his seat in excitement and attempted to keep his mouth shut. Joonmyun appreciated his efforts and decided not to ask anymore.

It didn't take them long to arrive, the car slowing down in a district known for its cafes and themed restaurants. The long street before them buzzed with people, taking pictures along the side and looking for places to eat. Joonmyun looked around truly fascinated. He'd barely been around the area because of the people, but the bright sunlight illuminated the place, drawing them in.

The car stopped at a quieter part of the district where less people wandered the streets, some of them entering the many restaurants lining the road.

"Come on," Jongdae said, pulling Joonmyun out of the car. They stopped in front of a large and quaint cafe. The sign at the top read _Cafe Nook_ with a book and steaming mug of coffee as part of its design. Before he could ask Jongdae about it, the younger pushed him inside.

Cafe Nook kept their store cool and comfortable, lights bright enough to shine on the people reading on every corner and table. Barely anyone paid them a glance while they walked around looking for a place to sit. From what Joonmyun could see, rows and rows of shelves lined the the walls of the cafe, books upon books piled the shelves and tables. Even the corners of the restaurant were filled with books.

Jongdae pushed him up the stairs and they occupied the last free private nook with a row of books lined up against the walls. Instead of chairs, the nook lined the floor with soft throws to be sat on and a square table stood in the middle of it.

"I heard from Jongin that you liked to read," Jongdae began, his words soft and almost far away until Joonmyun realized he needed to pay attention. "Okay, fine, I asked him about it and he said you liked to read."

Joonmyun smiled and picked up the book closest to him, a red hardbound book with an author he didn't know. It looked new. "Yes, I like to read," he said, almost a whisper. "I didn't at first," Joonmyun explained glancing up to make sure Jongdae was listening before he went back to flipping through the book. "It was something my father had to teach me. One day he challenged me to read all the books in our library and when I was eighteen, I finally did it."

When Joonmyun looked up, there was a soft smile on Jongdae's lips, eyes kind and warm. "That's great. In this cafe, if you start reading a book you can stay until closing time to finish reading it," he said gesturing to the book Joonmyun laid on the table.

"Yeah, I can probably finish this in one sitting." He flipped the book close and focused on Jongdae. "What about you? Do you like reading?"

"Occasionally, I'll pick up a book I like, but it's not a hobby I love to do constantly." Jongdae grabbed a small paperback, eyed it carefully before he settled on something thicker. "I originally wanted to just spend the day letting you brainwash me into liking your favorite cartoon but I remembered we had to be in a somewhat public setting so I settled for this instead."

Joonmyun frowned slightly at missing an opportunity to watch his favorite show, but Jongdae was quick to appease him.

"Maybe next time," he said, reaching out to squeeze Joonmyun's hand. "For now, let's order something and we can read peacefully."

After they ordered some food and drinks, they settled into their booth peacefully. They sat with their legs stretched out a little. If their feet more than grazed each others' toes for a few minutes, no one said anything.

Somewhere around the first hour, Joonmyun felt like someone was watching them. He tried looking around the other booths and tables to see if anyone else was looking but he found none. Most of the patrons were busy with their own books. He went back to reading his book soon enough, but the feeling of eyes on them didn't leave him. It wasn't until someone dropped by their nook that Joonmyun's suspicions were answered.

Jongdae nearly screamed in surprise, throwing his book onto the floor. "Chanyeol?" he whispered. Joonmyun looked back at Jongdae and then at the man with the wide grin.

"Hey, Jongdae, so," the man named Chanyeol drawled. "You said you had a date and I just happened to be in the neighborhood."

Chanyeol moved to sit beside Jongdae, pushing him to the side so he could greet Joonmyun. The other man smiled widely at him and offered his hand. "I'm—HOLY SHIT! YOUR HIGHNESS!"

Multiple shushes were sent their way and a passing waitress had to remind them to keep their voices down. Jongdae apologized profusely but Joonmyun couldn't hide his smile at Chanyeol's expression, jaw slightly open and eyes wide and unbelieving.

"Jongdae, Jongdae," he repeated, his deep voice, despite how soft he spoke, echoed around their nook. "You’re _dating_ Alpha King Joonmyun?"

"Your voice is way too loud, Chanyeol! Shut up," Jongdae scolded, sending Joonmyun apologetic looks.

"It's nice to meet you." Joonmyun smiled and offered his hand for Chanyeol to shake. Chanyeol looked positively stunned when he accepted Joonmyun's hand.

"I'm Your Highness Chanyeol—I mean, I'm Chanyeol, Your Highness," Chanyeol stuttered, eagerly shaking Joonmyun's hand. Joonmyun was almost sure Chanyeol would look at his hand in awe when they pulled apart, but he didn’t.

"I'm Joonmyun. Jongdae's told me about you. You’re his best friend, correct?" Jongdae groaned at the words best friend but Chanyeol's eyes shone and chuckled.

"You told His Highness about me?" He turned to Joonmyun. "Yes, I'm his best friend, been his best friend since we were in middle school."

"I can't believe you're dating the king and you didn't tell me," Chanyeol tried to whisper to Jongdae. Jongdae just groaned and buried his head in his book. He sent pleading looks in Joonmyun's way but Joonmyun was just happy to watch, getting to know the Jongdae who was comfortable with his best friend.

"By the way," Chanyeol started scooting closer so he could be face to face with Joonmyun. "Are you sure you want to be dating Jongdae? Because I know him _pretty_ well and I really don't think he's royal material." Chanyeol wiggled his eyebrows for added effect and Joonmyun had to quell down the rush of heat in his gut when Chanyeol brought to light his closeness with Jongdae.

"Yes," he managed to say and he found that it wasn't a lie. When he looked at Jongdae, at the way he frowned at Chanyeol, at the way his eyes pleaded with Joonmyun's, at the way his lips curled around the edges whenever he whined, Joonmyun thought _yes, there was no one else he'd rather be doing this than Jongdae._ He locked eyes with Jongdae then and hoped Jongdae could _see_ that Joonmyun meant it.

"Are you sure?" Chanyeol challenged and Joonmyun raised his brow at the teasing glint in Chanyeol's tone.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh god," Jongdae said scooting away from Chanyeol's side to curl into a ball in a different corner, covering his head with the book and blocking his ears with his palms.

"Where do I begin?" Chanyeol thoughtfully hummed before he smirked. "Our Jongdae here. He has a lot of bad habits like the fact that he whines too much in such a pitchy tone." Chanyeol shook his head and cringed as if he could hear it now. Joonmyun just smiled and remembered Jongdae whining just a few seconds ago. "He also snores a lot."

"Hey! That's because I'm stressed, _stressed_ ," Jongdae countered, crawling out of his ball to sit closer to Joonmyun's side. "Please don't let him speak anymore. Isn't there something you can do? Like banish him?"

Joonmyun just chuckled and shook his head. "No, I would actually like to hear what he says. Please continue," he said to Chanyeol who happily supplied Joonmyun a lifetime's worth of Jongdae's most embarrassing stories.

Chanyeol told Joonmyun about the time Jongdae missed his chance to cue for the talent contest because he was so nervous that he needed to use the bathroom and he didn't leave the whole night. Jongdae countered it with a story of how he came back the next year and won with his chosen song number. The more embarrassing stories Chanyeol told, the more Jongdae countered it with stories of his achievements. Joonmyun laughed and smiled at all of them. It was definitely one of the best ways to get to know Jongdae.

"Well," Chanyeol said, his last story leaving Joonmyun with a fond smile. "After everything I've said, do you _still_ wanna date Jongdae?" There was a different challenge in his tone and Joonmyun could see it in his eyes. Joonmyun smiled wholeheartedly, eyes going to Jongdae who was too busy grumbling to catch Joonmyun.

"Yes," he said, voice strong and final.

Chanyeol clapped his hands and chuckled. "Looks like we got a keeper," was all Chanyeol said. He slapped Jongdae on the back and flashed a thumbs up over Joonmyun's way. "Please take care of our Jongdae," Chanyeol said sincerely.

"It would be my pleasure," Joonmyun replied and Chanyeol offered him his hand to shake once more.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Your Highness," Chanyeol said.

"Please call me, Joonmyun," Joonmyun said.

"Thanks for your time... Joonmyun." Chanyeol winked in Joonmyun's way and bid Jongdae goodbye. "Sorry for crashing your date. I promise not to do it next time," he said with a chuckle before walking out of the nook.

Jongdae buried his head in his hands as soon as Chanyeol was out of earshot. "I'm going to kill Chanyeol."

"I don't know. I quite liked him."

He received a soft smack to the side courtesy of Jongdae, but Joonmyun couldn't fight the smile off his face. He was able to see more of Jongdae today, his flustered side, the young Jongdae, the reckless and brave Jongdae.

"It's so unfair," Jongdae muttered, lifting his head out of his hands. "Now you know so much about me, but I barely know you."

Joonmyun flushed at the thought of Jongdae hearing his embarrassing stories. "Some stories just aren't meant to come out into the light."

At those words, Jongdae smirked. "Maybe. But who knows." Jongdae's eyes glinted as he whipped out his phone. "I wonder if Jongin can say the same thing."

Jongdae began typing on his phone and before Joonmyun could check himself, he reached out to grab Jongdae's phone. Jongdae was quick to lift it up and out of Joonmyun's way, leaning back until Joonmyun was toppling over him. The pillows on the floor caught their fall, but they couldn't focus on anything other than the way their chests pressed close to each other.

From this close, Joonmyun could _feel_ Jongdae breathe, feel the way his chest rose up and down, his breath hot on his face. He swallowed and debated for a second on what to do before he settled on pushing himself back. Before he could get himself completely off of Jongdae, the younger pushed himself up and placed a small quick kiss on Joonmyun's lips.

"What was that for?" Joonmyun choked out.

"For this." Jongdae smirked and flashed his phone to Joonmyun. It was a text message to Jongin asking him to tell Jongdae all of Joonmyun's embarrassing stories. A second later, Jongin replied with an affirmation.

Joonmyun groaned and dropped his weight on Jongdae once more, leaning his head against that strong shoulder. He could feel the vibrations of Jongdae's laugh, the way his body moved along with Jongdae's. It made him smile; it was pleasant.

They stayed like that for a few minutes before Joonmyun got up. Jongdae whined that it was only fair that Jongin could ruin his reputation the same way Chanyeol did his.

"You're better off hearing things from Minseok," Joonmyun let slip, quickly biting his tongue the moment he heard himself. Jongdae's mouth dropped and he laughed, trying to keep it down with his hands.

"Thanks for the tip," Jongdae said in between. "I can't wait for them to tell me." He sent another quick text, tongue darting out in concentration. "Just gonna get Jongin to let Minseok in on it too." He winked Joonmyun's way and Joonmyun, as much as he _hated_ the idea of his deepest darkest stories coming to light, couldn't feel too bad about them if he could make Jongdae laugh.

Once Jongdae got Minseok’s quick consent, they gradually went back to their peaceful ambiance. Sometimes, they would laugh at something Joonmyun or Jongdae said before going back to their books. After about an hour, Jongdae and Joonmyun sidled closer to each other, leaning back against the wall, shoulder to shoulder. It was just the comfortable kind of quiet between them that Joonmyun liked. He wished he could savor the moment forever.

 

* * *

 

 

_A certain day in June. Venocia._

 

"Alpha King Joonmyun confirms dating rumors; dating omega Kim Jongdae," Kyuhyun read aloud. He took a quick sip of his coffee and frowned, throwing the paper against the table. "Sungmin!" he called.

A stocky man entered the dining hall and bowed. "Yes, Your Highness."

"It seems that Alpha King Joonmyun has taken the bait and began dating a _male_ omega," Kyuhyun said, practically seething. If he noticed Sungmin flinching at the words _'male omega,'_ he pretended not to notice. "Prepare at once."

"For what, Your Highness?" Sungmin asked, his tone obviously worried but Kyuhyun pretended he didn't hear.

"We're going to Sedocia."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, if you guessed the cartoon was Pokemon, then you are correct lmao... I couldn't be bothered to think up a parody name haha I'm so sorry ;;


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As thank you for reaching over 100 kudos, I wrote my [favorite quote](https://twitter.com/kyuhyunaaa/status/769375447863877633) from my fic calligraphy style. Thank you to everyone who read and gave me kudos! I love and appreciate you all. Also, I'd like to take up this space to remind everyone that I will not be updating on the weekend. Sorry! Hopefully, I can make up for it next week. ~~Maybe with a double update?~~

"His Highness, Alpha King Kyuhyun is flying to Sedocia for peace talks,” says the Royal Representative, Park Jungsoo. “Whether Sedocia’s Alpha King Joonmyun has set up the meeting is unknown, but we've reached out to their side for their comments."

Joonmyun nearly spat out his tea at the news he just heard, but years of etiquette training made him swallow the liquid without choking on it. He turned to Minseok who was busy with both his phone and tablet.

"I'm confirming it now, Your Highness," he said, walking towards Joonmyun so he could hand him the tablet. There was an email displayed on the screen and Joonmyun quickly read it. His eyes widened, squinted and then he sighed as he placed it back on the table. He turned to Minseok who was nodding and talking to someone on the phone before ending the call.

"I just talked with Alpha King Kyuhyun's advisor. He says they're sorry to come on such short notice but hope you can welcome them with open arms. They're also hoping you can make time to talk with His Highness. They say it's about the treaty."

Joonmyun sighed and nodded as the advisor confirmed everything that was written on the email. "When are they due to arrive?"

"According to the itinerary attached to the email, it says they will arrive tomorrow night at 10PM. What do you want to do, Your Highness?"

"First, let us check the public's reaction. If there's a mess that we have to take care of, we need some time to clear it up. If not today, then the earliest should be tomorrow. Does Alpha King Kyuhyun already have accommodations?"

"No, Your Highness."

Joonmyun sighed. "It's obvious that they want to stay with us. Prepare them all the rooms they'll need. How many people are coming with him?"

"Two of his personal guards, his pilot and the co-pilot, and his advisor."

"Alright, prepare the rooms and make sure there's a meal prepared for when they arrive." He took another sip of his tea and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm sure Alpha King Kyuhyun will want a party for his welcoming so clear my schedule three days from now and we'll have it then. That'll give His Highness enough time to rest. Invite the whole royal family, the nobles, the royal council, ERU members and government officials, and anyone who's ever had something to do with the equal rights movement."

"Is there anything else, Your Highness?" Minseok asked, his hand paused from writing.

"Call Heechul and Jongdae, we'll need to talk."

"Yes, Your Highness." Minseok quickly whipped out his phone and Joonmyun went back to watching the news, eyes unfocused and ears unhearing. He could tell how much trouble this was going to be.

"Heechul and Jongdae say they're on their way. If there's nothing else you will have me do, I will observe the public’s reaction so we can start planning your statement."

"Yes, you may go. Thank you, Minseok."

Minseok didn't say anything, just bowed and offered Joonmyun a comforting smile. When Minseok was gone and Joonmyun was all alone, he allowed himself the luxury of slumping back into his chair. His heart still beat wildly in his chest while his nerves began their slow ascent up his body. _If Alpha King Kyuhyun finds out—_ , Joonmyun couldn't even let himself finish the thought.

He took several deep calming breaths, shook away all thoughts of Kyuhyun and focused on something else, like Jongdae's smile, the way he always sent him messages with emoticons and the sound of his laughter, ringing in his ears like soft little bells. In just a few minutes, Joonmyun found a semblance of calm. He still felt nervous but his heartbeat was steady, allowing him to think about this with a rational mind.

Before he could put himself in another anxious state, Joonmyun walked out of the dining hall and headed for the conference room. Heechul and Jongdae arrived soon enough, both of them looking a little out of breath and taking gulps of water as soon as they sat down.

"Okay," Heechul said, practically slamming his glass down on the table. "Here's what we're going to do. Your Highness, please, do _not_ say anything that would hint to the truth of your relationship with Jongdae, no matter what the circumstances are."

Joonmyun nodded upon hearing Heechul’s instruction.

"Is he really here just to catch us?" Jongdae asked. "Isn't his official statement for peace talks?"

Joonmyun frowned. "If it were for peace talks, we would've been notified earlier and we would be the ones arranging it instead."

Jongdae bit his lip. "What do we do?"

"For now, let's just stay calm and proceed as we usually would. Continue to act like a normal couple and if Alpha King Kyuhyun confronts either of you, please tell me immediately."

Both Jongdae and Joonmyun nodded. Before any of them could make a comment, someone knocked on the door. "Come in."

Minseok popped in, bowed his head and said, "It seems the public wants a statement from you, Your Highness. We've prepared something short and we need you to review it."

"I'm sorry, but I need to take care of this," Joonmyun told them both.

"It's okay, I'll make sure to bring Jongdae back home," Heechul said.

Joonmyun nodded and left before Heechul and Jongdae could. Minseok thrust the single piece of paper in his hands and Joonmyun read over the short statement. They headed straight for the PR room where a lone camera and the rest of Joonmyun's staff were already waiting for him.

"We'll go with this," Joonmyun said as he stood up at the podium and smiled at the camera.

"You don't want a representative to speak, Your Highness?" one of them asked. Joonmyun smiled at them kindly.

"No, that won't be necessary." It was something he learned from his father. If the people could see him, could see his participation when it came to upholding the kingdom, then the more that they would love and respect him.

"Yes, Your Highness. We'll begin in five, four, three," and the cameraman mouthed the last two numbers.

"Good day citizens of Sedocia. As Alpha King Kyuhyun has said, he is coming to our kingdom to discuss our latest efforts in achieving equality throughout the whole country. Let us welcome him and his party with open arms and open minds." After a few more assurances that Alpha King Kyuhyun’s purpose was for good, Joonmyun thanked the people of his kingdom and waited for the camera to cut.

"Now all we do is wait," Joonmyun muttered to himself, preparing his heart and mind for the worst.

 

* * *

 

Joonmyun made sure to pick up Kyuhyun from the airport himself. They managed to prepare everything in the short amount of time they had been given and now, Joonmyun was ready for Kyuhyun.

Once they received news of the plane's landing, Joonmyun and Minseok exited the car and waited to greet Kyuhyun. Joonmyun and his guards stood in line, waiting for Kyuhyun to exit the plane. The door opened to reveal two guards, moving about and then making way for Kyuhyun. The man looked the same from the pictures and videos Joonmyun had seen of him, but when he stood to his full height and smiled down at Joonmyun, the young king could feel the amount of power he held. It didn't help that Kyuhyun stood a few inches taller than him, causing the other to literally look down at him.

"Alpha King Kyuhyun, welcome to Sedocia," Joonmyun greeted first, his smile warm and welcoming. He offered his right hand for Kyuhyun to shake but the older just shook his head and embraced him.

"Let's skip the formalities," Kyuhyun said, almost shouted even, in Joonmyun's ears. "We're practically cousins." He pushed Joonmyun back, as if to take in everything that Joonmyun was.

Joonmyun tried not to grimace at the idea or thought of them being relatives. Although it wasn't a comment without basis, they both knew how it was a bit of a stretch. Still, Joonmyun accepted Kyuhyun's embrace and smiled as kindly as he could.

"This is my advisor by the way," Kyuhyun said, smiling down at the stubby man beside him. "Lee Sungmin."

Sungmin bowed low upon greeting before smiling up at Joonmyun. Joonmyun caught a quick whiff of omega from the man and could barely hide his surprise. Not only was it uncommon for an omega to hold such a high position under the royal empire, it was almost impossible for it to happen in Venocia, the kingdom where most omegas were forced into slavery. Before anyone could notice, Joonmyun quickly schooled his expression into a smile and shook hands with the advisor. He introduced Minseok to both Kyuhyun and Sungmin, then urged them to follow him so they could escort them back to the castle.

Taking two different cars, Joonmyun allowed himself the peace and quiet to assess his thoughts on the situation. He would need to be on guard for the rest of Kyuhyun's stay and would need to keep himself in check now more than ever.

Once they arrived, Joonmyun showed them to their rooms and invited them to have a light meal before they retired to their bedrooms.

“Thank you for your hospitality but that won’t be necessary,” Kyuhyun said. “We’ve had a long flight and I’m sure my men would rather rest up for the night.”

“Of course. I understand. Please have good night’s rest." Joonmyun waited until all of them closed the doors to their rooms before going to his own. He pressed his lips closed when Kyuhyun pulled on Sungmin's arm, dragging him into his room. It wasn't his place to say anything.

Joonmyun clenched his fists and went back to his room. As someone who fought for the rights of all omegas, he felt the need to do something. However, accusing Kyuhyun of things he was uncertain of would cause even more conflict. Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated and Joonmyun breathed a little easier knowing it was one of Jongdae's usual nightly greetings.

Before he could really think about it, Joonmyun dialed Jongdae’s number and laid back on his bed.

"Hello?" Jongdae greeted, almost unsure.

"Hi," Joonmyun replied and he smiled at the obvious sigh on Jongdae's side.

"For a moment there, I thought it wasn't you. You rarely call."

"I just felt like hearing your voice."

"What's wrong?"

Joonmyun wondered if it was his voice that gave him away, wondered how he sounded from the phone. "I saw Alpha King Kyuhyun practically drag his advisor into his room." Before Jongdae could counter, Joonmyun continued. "He's an omega."

"Oh," Jongdae said. "You think they might be...?"

"I don't know. I—" Joonmyun took a deep breath. "I want to give them the benefit of a doubt, but it's definitely..."

"Suspicious?"

Joonmyun chuckled. "Yes, but if I recall correctly, Sungmin has been his advisor since he became king. There could be a lot of things we're missing."

"You're such a good person, you know that?" Jongdae chided. "Even now, as you're literally doubting the most evil king of our time, you're still trying to see the good side in him." There was no bite in his voice and Joonmyun smiled.

"I have to," he said. "It's how my parents raised me. They taught me to be fair."

"And that's why you're such a good king," Jongdae said, almost a sigh in his voice. "It's too bad we can't go out on dates while Alpha King Kyuhyun's there."

Joonmyun hummed and he almost choked on it when he heard Jongdae's soft, "I'll miss you." His heart hammered inside of him, jumping up and down in excitement and confusion, but once he got his bearings, he smiled and closed his eyes.

"But we'll still see each other. There's the party for His Highness and all the possible appearances we have to make," Joonmyun countered.

Jongdae sighed. "Yeah, but it's not gonna be the same when it's just you and me."

"I promise to make up for it," Joonmyun said sincerely.

"Now that sounds like a good promise. I'm holding you to that."

"But of course, as King of Sedocia, I have to make sure I always make do on my promises."

Jongdae laughed, voice low and rich in Joonmyun's ears. "Good night, Joonmyun."

"Good night, Jongdae."

 

* * *

 

Despite the short announcement, several people gathered to welcome Kyuhyun into Sedocia. Kyuhyun busied himself with mingling, accepting the introductions of the extended royal family and seemed quite interested as they talked about things Joonmyun couldn't hear. Joonmyun took a deep breath from where he stood, wine glass in his hand still full.

"You okay?" Jongdae said, squeezing his arm and bringing him back to reality.

Joonmyun took a deep breath and smiled at Jongdae. "Yes, I am." He took a sip of his wine and led Jongdae to the middle of the crowd where they were cornered by a few of Joonmyun's relatives.

Despite the number of people crowding around them and Kyuhyun, Joonmyun could feel Kyuhyun’s watchful eye over them. If the weight of his piercing gaze was anything to go by, Joonmyun was sure Kyuhyun never kept his attention away from Joonmyun and Jongdae.

It didn’t help that Jongdae could feel how tense he was, dancing in the middle of the hall and feeling the way Joonmyun’s body wound tight.

“Hey,” Jongdae whispered, stepping close enough to practically embrace Joonmyun. “Calm down, _you’re_ stressing me out.”

“I’m sorry,” Joonmyun said with a soft nervous chuckle. “But I can tell he won’t stop looking.”

Jongdae hummed. “Then pretend that in this sea of people, all you can see is me.” He stepped back to look into Joonmyun’s eyes, holding his gaze. _Look at me, look only at me_ , Jongdae’s eyes said and Joonmyun did.

When Kyuhyun and Sungmin finally made their way towards them, Joonmyun was calm enough to smile at them normally. Jongdae wrapped an arm around his waist and bowed slightly in greeting.

"Good evening, Alpha King Kyuhyun," Joonmyun greeted. "I hope you find our welcoming to be most suitable."

Kyuhyun smirked, but Joonmyun had a feeling that was just his natural look. "Yes, it's definitely suitable. Thank you for your _efforts_." His advisor beside him flinched and Joonmyun pretended he didn't even hear the obvious insult.

"Yes, well, before I forget," Joonmyun hurriedly changed the topic and urged Jongdae to move forward. "This is my lover, Kim Jongdae."

Jongdae stepped forward and bowed low. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness."

"Likewise," Kyuhyun said. He looked Jongdae up and down, his nose twitching slightly, causing the younger to shiver and Joonmyun felt the minute vibrations from where they stood. "You're not a royal, are you?" wondered Kyuhyun. It sounded curious but Joonmyun could tell there was an underlying mockery hidden in his tone.

"No, I'm not," Jongdae said proudly, chest popping out and smile so wide. Kyuhyun looked fairly amused but didn't comment, just nodded his head and then changed the topic.

Kyuhyun talked about anything and everything, from the difference of the weather to culture. Joonmyun and Jongdae barely had time to offer their input before Kyuhyun was talking about something else. Sungmin on the other hand seemed satisfied to stand right beside Kyuhyun, flinching ever so slightly whenever Kyuhyun mouthed something seemingly rude or inappropriate.

A few of their guests would come by and exchange words with them but they'd leave after a few minutes, either unable to withstand Kyuhyun's seemingly kind attitude or his blatant ignorance of their presence. By the time Joonmyun and Jongdae noticed it, they were already backed into a corner and somehow, even Sungmin was gone. Jongdae quickly turned to Joonmyun, his eyes screaming with worry while his face remained passive. Joonmyun didn't dare acknowledge the look and stood there, waiting for Kyuhyun to say his piece.

Kyuhyun eyed them very carefully, leaning slightly into their personal space, his nose twitching. Joonmyun swallowed.

"Is there something wrong, Your Highness?" asked Joonmyun, business smile on his face. He could barely feel the burn of his muscles now that he was older.

Kyuhyun hummed and straightened. "I don't believe for a moment that you two are a couple." His voice was as clear as day, but it was soft enough that no one would hear. Joonmyun could feel his heartbeat stuck in his throat.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jongdae replied, although with the thundering in Joonmyun's ears, it sounded more like a whisper.

Kyuhyun chuckled, and from a bystander's point of view, it would've looked normal, sounded normal even, but from where he and Jongdae stood, Joonmyun could hear the clear tone of mockery underlying it. "You can deny it all you want," Kyuhyun said flippantly. "But it's suspicious how well timed your relationship is and how _perfect_ everything seems to be." Kyuhyun hummed once more. "I'm definitely going to find out the truth about you two."

Before either of them could defend their relationship, Kyuhyun smiled at them in challenge and walked away, swallowed by a crowd of ERU members. Joonmyun let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding and then turned to Jongdae. "We should—"

"We have to go back," Jongdae whispered, grip tightening on Joonmyun's arms. "If we disappear now, he'll suspect something."

Joonmyun, although he desperately needed to talk to Jongdae, agreed and together they took a few deep breaths, put on a smile and went back to the crowd. Kyuhyun didn't bother with them after that, choosing instead to notice all the others he'd ignored before.

They waited until the guests trickled on home, until Kyuhyun bid them all good night, until the only ones standing in the ballroom were them and a few of the maids cleaning up. Joonmyun took a shuddering breath and pulled Jongdae into his arms. "What do we do?"

"I don't know," Jongdae whispered, wrapping his own arms tight around Joonmyun's waist. Joonmyun swayed them a little, to look like a couple savoring the night. "Maybe," Jongdae started, breath hot against Joonmyun's neck. "Maybe we can start by being handsy? I mean we barely kiss and hug in public. Maybe that's what he needs."

"Maybe," Joonmyun echoed. If possible, he pulled Jongdae even closer.

When no one else spoke, Jongdae started humming a melody, the minuscule vibrations comforting to Joonmyun. They continued to sway to Jongdae's soft hums until they turned into a soft song.

"You have a very nice voice," Joonmyun whispered, relaxing into the slow dance.

"I told you that I won a talent show through singing alone," Jongdae whispered before continuing to sing again.

"I can see why," Joonmyun replied, focusing on the soft notes of Jongdae's voice. They sounded a little strained, but it was comforting, little notes of warmth blanketing Joonmyun into a safe haven.

"Feeling better?" Jongdae asked, the echoes of his song still filling Joonmyun's mind.

"Yes."

"Good." Jongdae squeezed Joonmyun tightly once more and pushed him back so they could be face to face. He leaned his forehead against Joonmyun and somehow that brought a wave of relief through Joonmyun. "Whatever happens, no matter what, I will always be here for you."

Instead of saying thanks, Joonmyun pulled Jongdae close, hand going around the back of his neck to guide their lips together. Jongdae stiffened in Joonmyun's hold before sliding his own hands down Joonmyun's back to pull him in, pressing their lips harder against each other. Joonmyun moved his lips against Jongdae's, coaxing them open so he could taste Jongdae better. Jongdae moaned through the kiss but allowed Joonmyun to do as he pleased, mimicked his movements until they both couldn't breathe anymore.

Joonmyun was the first one to pull away, barely leaving an inch of space between them.

"What was that for?" Jongdae panted, lips almost brushing against Joonmyun's.

Joonmyun took a few deep breaths, trying to clear his mind enough to stop wanting to kiss Jongdae again. His mind raced with reasons to thank Jongdae, ranging from being himself to being here, keeping Joonmyun up and supporting him even though they barely knew each other and were thrust into this relationship for different reasons. Joonmyun closed his eyes and settled on, "Reasons."

Jongdae laughed, loud and echoing in the quiet ballroom. The strength of it was enough to pull their heads apart. "One of these days, you're gonna have to tell me those _reasons_."

Joonmyun found himself smiling anyway and said, "I promise."

 

* * *

 

The next morning at breakfast, Joonmyun greeted Kyuhyun with as much respect as he could muster. Kyuhyun didn't seem to care about his image as he grumbled a greeting back.

"Your Highness," Joonmyun started, his voice echoing around the dining hall. "I wanted to ask you about your schedule so we can decide when to talk about the treaty."

Kyuhyun gestured for Sungmin to talk, his advisor walking forward so he was closer to Joonmyun. "Alpha King Kyuhyun wishes to hear whatever you have to say about the treaty during your weekly meeting with the ERU. We understand that it's still two days away, therefore His Highness wishes you could free up some of your time to tour him around Sedocia."

Joonmyun nodded. "I see. Let me just confirm with my advisor." Minseok stepped forward and Sungmin went back to Kyuhyun's side. Joonmyun noticed the tell-tale limping of the other, but kept his mouth shut.

"You're absolutely free today, Your Highness. Today's a Sunday," Minseok said. Joonmyun tried his best not to sigh and nodded.

"Alright. Can you call Jongdae and ask him to come over?"

"Yes, Your Highness," Minseok said, going back to his corner.

"As it turns out, I'm free today. Would His Highness be all right to go an hour after now?"

Kyuhyun checked the watch on his hand. "Yes, that would be enough time to get ready." He sent Joonmyun a mocking smile before going back to his breakfast. Joonmyun could tell Kyuhyun wasn't much of a morning person, and didn't bother him with any more questions.

Breakfast remained silent between them until Kyuhyun and Sungmin left to get ready. Joonmyun lingered for a few minutes, trying to catch his bearings. Today would be a good opportunity to show Kyuhyun how _real_ he and Jongdae were. He needed to take this chance. With that thought, Joonmyun got ready.

They took two cars, Joonmyun and Jongdae in one while Kyuhyun and his party were in the other. It gave Joonmyun and Jongdae enough privacy to plan their next course of action.

"I think this would be much easier if I had a lot more dating experience," Jongdae muttered, sidling closer to Joonmyun to whisper closely in his ears.

Joonmyun tried to chuckle, but it fell flat between them, swallowed down by their worries. "I feel the same, though the truth is, I've only ever dated one person and that was—it was different then and so many years have passed since."

"Different because you really liked them?" Jongdae asked and for a moment, the younger looked shock that he'd asked. Before he could take it back, Joonmyun shook his head.

"Different because I was young and didn't know any better," Joonmyun answered, a teasing smile playing on his lips. Jongdae nudged him back and sighed, gripping his hand tight.

"Should we just make out every five minutes?"

Joonmyun blushed at the idea of repeating last night's actions but he managed to shake his head. "I'm almost definite it would just make him suspect us even more."

"Well, whatever." Jongdae squeezed Joonmyun's hand. "We have to try to at least be more couple-like."

"Easier said than done," Joonmyun muttered.

"If we fail, at least we tried." Jongdae urged Joonmyun to face him and quickly placed a soft kiss on those lips. "And at least we did it together."

The car stopped then, and Joonmyun took a deep breath. Once the door opened, Joonmyun pictured himself as Jongdae's boyfriend, someone who loved their partner deeply. When he looked at Jongdae, it wasn't too hard to believe.

They went to the museum that Joonmyun had built in honor of his ancestors.

“Welcome to the Royal Museum,” Joonmyun said. He gestured his arm and presented the expanse of exhibits before them. He made sure to hold Jongdae’s hand at all times. Kyuhyun eyed them for a few minutes before he took in the whole museum.

“I’m guessing this is a tribute to honor your ancestors’ efforts in equal rights?” Kyuhyun said condescendingly.

Joonmyun didn’t let his smile falter when he said, “It is more than that, Your Highness. In this museum, we tell the beginnings of Seiocia as a country, the birth of the four kingdoms and the struggles that my family has gone through to uphold their beliefs.” Jongdae’s grip on his hand tightened and Joonmyun took a deep calming breath.

Kyuhyun scoffed and Sungmin flinched by his side. “Very well then.”

Joonmyun smiled and began the tour of the exhibit. Jongdae ran his hand up and down Joonmyun’s back, trying to bring him into a semblance of a good mood. The king smiled at Jongdae’s efforts, doing his best to show their guests what Seiocia was, is, and could be.

Kyuhyun let them walk ahead, eyes heavy on their intertwined hands. When Joonmyun looked back to explain to them an artifact, Kyuhyun would turn his eyes to the piece and then return it to their hands when Joonmyun looked away. Joonmyun did his best to ignore it and moved his arm to wrap around Jongdae’s waist instead. Jongdae instantly leaned into his side.

Other than his sharp gazes, Kyuhyun mostly kept quiet and looked almost bored when Joonmyun had to point out something that was part of history. From time to time, both Joonmyun and Jongdae noticed how Kyuhyun always kept Sungmin to his side, unlike Joonmyun who always had Minseok some steps behind.

At one point, Jongdae whispered to Joonmyun, "They honestly feel more like a couple than we do."

They tried multiple times to wrap their arms around each other or kiss throughout the tour, but with Joonmyun acting as a tour guide, it seemed out of place.

Joonmyun glanced back at the other two, their guards and Minseok following from farther behind. Kyuhyun and Sungmin stood close to each other, their arms brushing and when Joonmyun looked at their hands, he could see how their fingers reached out just slightly. He looked away before Kyuhyun could catch him looking, busy with admiring the paintings in the exhibits.

When they were reaching the last exhibit, Jongdae leaned his head on Joonmyun’s shoulders and whispered, “I give up.”

“Just a little more,” Joonmyun whispered back.

"What are you two muttering about over there?" Kyuhyun called out. When Joonmyun turned around, there was a smirk on his face and the young king had to bite down the urge to sigh.

"We were just talking about taking you to the 'Origins' exhibit. We're not sure if you've heard about it, but it's the exhibit that contains the portrait of the first royal family of Seiocia as well as the letters written by both Alpha King Seo and Omega Prince Consort Sia."

Kyuhyun hardened at the mention of the first royal family. It was a growing conspiracy that the kingdom of Venocia tried their best to extinguish the existence of a male omega in their history. Before the expression could really take root, his signature smirk came back to place and he said, "Lead the way, Your Highness."

Joonmyun nodded and pulled Jongdae closer to his side, needing his presence to keep him standing.

The exhibit looked even more remarkable now that Joonmyun was seeing it for the second time. The large painting of the first family hung in the middle of the hall, inscriptions still clear despite the years that had passed. His family had done their best to preserve everything in this exhibit, from the painting to the letters to the first peace treaty that Alpha King Sedon had made. He did his best to tell Kyuhyun of their significance, but eventually let the king roam for himself.

Jongdae separated from Joonmyun and stood to admire the glamorous painting in the middle. Joonmyun approached and took this opportunity to wrap his arms around Jongdae's hips. It felt uncomfortable and forced, but they'd been keeping it relaxed for far too long. Jongdae stiffened before settling against Joonmyun's chest, hands going to hold onto Joonmyun's arms.

"What're you thinking about?" Joonmyun asked, placing a small kiss at the side of Jongdae's head. They both know it was too much, but it was either that or get caught.

"Nothing, just thinking about how things would be different if Omega Prince Sia were alive to help raise his children. I've always wondered what kind of world we could've had then." Jongdae shook his head. "And then I stop myself because it's pointless. It's not going to change a thousand years worth of history."

"But _we_ will," Joonmyun whispered and Jongdae shuddered in his hold.

"Have you two made love already?" Kyuhyun asked, popping out of nowhere and nearly giving both Jongdae and Joonmyun heart attacks. They barely had time to recover from the shock when the question hit them. Jongdae stuttered and Joonmyun flushed bright red.

"Don't you think that's a little inappropriate, _Your Highness_?" Jongdae countered.

Kyuhyun hummed, "It's up to you if you don't answer, but we both know that it won't help your cause."

"We haven't," Joonmyun answered before Kyuhyun and Jongdae could fight with words. "We've just started dating and I want to respect Jongdae's space," he said with a neutral expression, but his grip on Jongdae's hip was tight.

Kyuhyun squinted at them and scoffed. He sighed and stood beside Sungmin. "I think I'm tired for the day. Let's continue this tour tomorrow and go back."

"Of course," Joonmyun said. "I hope you'll excuse my absence as I bring Jongdae home first."

Kyuhyun smirked at Joonmyun's statement. "I see," he said tentatively. "Then we'll go ahead of you. I'm sure Sungmin can talk to the driver on your behalf. Let's go, Sungmin." Kyuhyun stalked forward, but Sungmin turned around to bow low before following Kyuhyun.

Joonmyun only relaxed once he and Jongdae were in the car. "Tell me immediately if he still suspects us," Jongdae said, gripping Joonmyun's hands tight. "Maybe Heechul or Seohyun will be able to help us."

Joonmyun nodded, but all the effort of keeping up their facade had taken a toll on him. Jongdae seemed to notice and remained quiet throughout the ride. He sat close to Joonmyun and offered his shoulder for the man to lie on. Joonmyun smiled and accepted the offer. He didn't fall asleep, but he was able to relax, even if it was just for a few minutes.

He spent the ride back trying not to think about spending another day in the same vicinity as Kyuhyun. He was almost successful until the car stopped, the sign that he was back home. The icing on his cake was when Kyuhyun greeted him, arms crossed and body leaning against the grand staircase that would lead them to their rooms.

"I still don't believe it," Kyuhyun said plainly. "If you'd continued to act the way you did last night, I might've thought about it, but it was obvious that you tried too hard today."

"Your observations don't necessarily mean anything." Joonmyun was surprised how determined his voice sounded because deep down he was scrambling for words.

"Yes, I guess you're right." Kyuhyun shrugged. "Observations can be a bit misleading as they're onesided, but I just need one more proof before I trash your treaty altogether." He paused for a second and then said, "Oh, and before I expose the truth of your relationship with Jongdae to the media," like it was an afterthought.

Joonmyun clenched his fists. More than the threat to the treaty, all he could think about was how Kyuhyun would doubt the sincerity of his feelings towards Jongdae. He wasn't even sure how he felt about the other man, but he could feel the burn of the insult.

How could he say those things, how could Kyuhyun be so sure that Joonmyun and Jongdae didn't have anything between them now? Even if the foundations of their relationship were unconventional, it didn't mean they couldn't make pillars out of it along the way. He wanted to say all this to Kyuhyun, to convey how much he liked and appreciated Jongdae, but Joonmyun knew that wasn't what Kyuhyun wanted or needed. It was the last thing Kyuhyun was looking for in their relationship and would only affirm his suspicions.

He took a deep breath instead, cleared his thoughts and smiled ruefully at Kyuhyun. "I'm sorry to cut this discussion to a close, but I must retire to my quarters. I hope you understand, Alpha King Kyuhyun. All these last minute preparations for unannounced matters can be quite tiring. Good night, Your Highness."

Joonmyun didn't look back when he walked away.


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warnings: Mating Cycles/In Heat, Heat Sex, Knotting, Swearing, Begging, Whiny Jongdae, Top Suho, Bottom Jongdae**   
>  Please take note of the rating change from **Mature to Explicit**! Yes, this means this chapter contains smut! In case you're not taking note of the tags, I added them here just in case. Even though its heat sex, the characters talked it out beforehand and is therefore completely consensual.
> 
>   ~~Not a double update, but I hope the smut makes up for it ha ha ha huh uhuhu /o\~~

On the Thursday of that week, Kyuhyun attended one of ERU's weekly meetings. Many of the members saw this as a chance to open Kyuhyun's mind to the wonderful benefits of signing the treaty. Joonmyun was sure that almost everyone, except for Yixing and himself, had spoken to make their point.

Kyuhyun sighed at the end of it all, a flippant wave of his hand echoing his feelings. "I stand by what I said." He smirked and then turned to give Joonmyun a challenging look. "Unless I can prove the authenticity of Alpha King Joonmyun's relationship with Jongdae, then I won't sign it. Nothing you say or do will sway me."

The meaning of his words weren't lost on them, but Joonmyun tried his best to keep a straight face, not to frown and retaliate too easily in case it backfired.

"We understand, Your Highness," Heechul replied, saving Joonmyun from the burning hot seat he was on. "We hope, however, that this brought some awareness to you and has increased your knowledge on the benefits the treaty could have to the country once it is passed."

Kyuhyun just nodded, eyes busy roaming around the table before settling on Joonmyun once more. "Where's Jongdae, by the way?"

Joonmyun bit back his sigh and gave Kyuhyun a practiced rueful smile. "Jongdae isn't a member of the ERU."

"I see," Kyuhyun said, stretching the syllables. Joonmyun waited for him to say something else but Kyuhyun never followed it up with anything. He just smirked at him before turning to Heechul.

"Thank you for your time today, Heechul. I was greatly informed by your presentation and I do hope I get the opportunity to sign the treaty once everything is proven to be genuine." Kyuhyun stood up and shook the hands of the members, thanking each of them for their proposals and asking for his own copies. The members made sure to send ones that wouldn't be considered confidential.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe that there is still more of Sedocia for me to see,” Kyuhyun bid. Joonmyun nodded stiffly and said his own goodbyes to the board members of the ERU. He thanked them for their hard work before leaving to change clothes.

Once clad in something more appropriate for a casual stroll in the city, Joonmyun accompanied Kyuhyun for the rest of the day. They continued to tour Sedocia without Jongdae because the omega had work that day.

Without Jongdae, Kyuhyun asked Joonmyun all kinds of questions, questions that weren't related to the tour. He asked Joonmyun about their dates, how he and Jongdae met, things about Jongdae and his life. It sounded like casual curiosity but Joonmyun knew Kyuhyun was assessing how intimate they were. Joonmyun could answer most of the questions, all those dates and set ups the union arranged helping him out.

However, Kyuhyun also asked Joonmyun hard questions. _What did he like most about Jongdae? What attracted him the first time they met?_ Joonmyun hoped Kyuhyun didn’t take his pauses as signs for anything. He had to carefully choose his words in case he was asked the same questions by the media or family.

Joonmyun sighed in relief whenever the tours ended an hour or two after they had begun. His packed schedule saved him from spending another second with older king. Despite having to dive right into work, Joonmyun much preferred the hustle and bustle of his royal duties over babysitting Kyuhyun.

Before he could even take in the scent of home and be filled with relief, Kyuhyun peered down at Joonmyun and gave him a mischievous smile, the only sign that he was up to something.

"I've decided that if His Highness isn't opposed to it, I would like to extend my stay for another week at most. There are just so many things for me to _see and learn_ , so many questions that still need to be answered. I hope you understand." His smile didn't change, but it didn't matter because Joonmyun couldn't and wouldn't say no to Alpha King Kyuhyun.

"Of course we'd be happy to have you stay, for as long as you needed."

"Good," was all Kyuhyun said before walking away, leaving Joonmyun to slump against the handrails of the staircase. Joonmyun barely lost composure so easily nowadays in open spaces, but Kyuhyun often caught him off guard and tested his patience so much that he felt wound tight by his whole presence.

With Kyuhyun's extended stay, Joonmyun realized more dates would have to be compromised in order to tour His Highness around. He couldn't help but frown when he relayed the information to an equally disappointed Jongdae.

"Oh well," Jongdae said, trying to make light of the situation. "It's not like we can help it. I mean, he's practically asking us to tour him around and it'd be suspicious enough to stop now."

"I just hope we can convince him sooner," Joonmyun whispered to the phone. He wanted to say more, but doing it by phone while they were under the same roof as Alpha King Kyuhyun wasn't a good idea.

"We will," Jongdae said, sounding so sure. It was probably the only thing boosting Joonmyun's confidence. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"See you." _I miss you_ ’s left unsaid, left for some other day when Joonmyun could actually open his mouth and let the words roll off his tongue.

The weekend came and brought with it blue skies and bright sunlight. A cool breeze permeated the outdoors, making it comfortable enough to continue on with the tour of the kingdom. Joonmyun smiled at having a chance to spend such a wonderful day with Jongdae. He couldn't wait to try out all the restaurants he'd discovered over the internet looking for places to eat.

In his excitement, Joonmyun pulled out his phone and called Jongdae.

"Jongdae, good morning. I called to ask if you were on your way."

Jongdae stayed silent for a few more seconds before heaving a deep sigh. "It looks like I can't make it after all… and I won’t be available until next week."

"What? Why? What's going on? Are you all right?"

Jongdae let out a breathy laugh. "Yes, I'm fine, Joonmyun. I just forgot to take my suppressants so my heat hit me earlier this month. I'll be confined to my house and room for the rest of the week."

"Oh."

"Yeah. But don't worry about me. You should definitely continue to tour Alpha King—"

"I'm on my way."

"What—"

By then, Joonmyun had already ended the call.

"Is something the matter, Your Highness?" Kyuhyun asked, the smirk on his face making him look even more triumphant than ever. Joonmyun tried not to frown at the sight of it.

"I'm sorry, Alpha King Kyuhyun. It seems that Jongdae has started his heat and I would really like to be there for him."

Kyuhyun looked taken aback by the admission, but it didn't last long, replaced by his smirk once more. "Of course. Your lover is more important."

"Thank you. We can continue once I've gotten back." Joonmyun didn't wait for Kyuhyun's approval before turning back, catching Minseok on his way to the car.

"What's going on?" Minseok asked.

"I'm going over to Jongdae's. He's starting his heat."

"You're planning on taking care of him? For a week?" Minseok hissed, making sure no one could hear him other than Joonmyun.

Joonmyun was ready to say yes, was about to utter the word without hesitation until it him. With a foot in the car and his head sticking out, Joonmyun stopped in the middle and thought about what he was doing, what he was _about_ to do. If he went to Jongdae's house now, it could only mean one thing, and Joonmyun didn't know if he was ready for _that_.

Minseok's sigh brought him out of his thoughts. "At least get in the car and then think about it." He urged Joonmyun to get in and followed right after him.

"Have you talked to Jongdae about his heats? Did you guys agree on some sort of plan?"

Joonmyun shook his head. "We didn't really talk about it." He pinched the bridge of his nose, remembering how he'd brushed off the topic when Jongdae suggested it. He really wished he hadn't. "He said he was on suppressants, but he didn't really mind having to do _it_ with me."

"You think he did it on purpose?"

"What—No, that's not what I'm implying. I'm just saying that he was taking suppressants so I told him we didn't need to talk about it. What do you think I should do?"

Minseok sighed, the deep and loud kind, the one he usually reserved for when Joonmyun had done something stupid in his opinion. "There's only two things you can do in this situation. Have heat sex with him or not have heat sex with him."

When Joonmyun shot him a look, Minseok rolled his eyes. "You should at least come prepared whether you decide to have sex with him or not." Minseok tapped the driver on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Taeil, can you stop by the nearest supermarket?"

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you.” Minseok then returned his attention to Joonmyun. "Even if you end up not having sex with Jongdae, at least bring him things that will help him get through his heat," Minseok said. "He won't be able to go outside so you should come with a lot of food. And in case you do end up staying for the rest of the week, you'll also need condoms and lube."

Joonmyun fought the blush creeping their way on his cheeks and nodded. If Minseok was taking this seriously, Joonmyun should too.

"But Joonmyun, I have to remind you," Minseok said, tone much harder. "That because this is heat sex, the success rate of contraceptives drops down to ninety-five percent."

Joonmyun nodded, remembering all of those health classes he was forced to take, to study along with Jongin. All the pictures and lessons were a bit of a blur, but somehow he was remembering all of the important lessons now.

"Do you still want to go?" Minseok asked, voice suddenly loud and intrusive in his mind. Joonmyun looked at his friend, saw the uncertainty in his eyes and thought about Jongdae, all alone and suffering through a heat he probably hadn't had in years. If he could somehow help Jongdae, even if he were to just drop by for one day, then Joonmyun thought it would help ease his conscience.

But really his train of thought tried not to focus too much on Jongdae, taking care of himself, needlessly begging for someone to help him. What if someone came that wasn't Joonmyun? What if someone offered their help and Joonmyun wasn't the one to take care of Jongdae? That certainly had to be addressed.

"Yes." And that was all Minseok needed before he remained quiet for the rest of the trip.

In the supermarket, Minseok grabbed the condoms and lube while Joonmyun picked ready to eat meals or food that wouldn't take time to prepare. Joonmyun went back to the car and left Minseok to pay. They were already drawing too much attention and Joonmyun didn't want people to know what he was up to buying condoms and lube with his advisor.

The drive to Jongdae's place remained quiet, with Minseok taking up his usual seat in front. Joonmyun used the time to think about what he was going to say to Jongdae, what he might be proposing when he got there.

All too soon, they were in front of Jongdae's house and Minseok looked back at him from where he was seated. "Your Highness, would you like us to wait for you?"

Joonmyun took a deep breath. "No, go home and I'll call you when I need to be picked up."

"Yes, Your Highness. Please take care then."

Joonmyun nodded and got out. He grabbed the bag of groceries out of the trunk and walked the path that led to Jongdae's door. Even though he'd been here a handful of times, his heart pounded now louder than ever. He almost couldn't ring the doorbell, but got the courage to do so when he realized the car was still behind him, waiting for him to go inside.

After a quick swallow of nerves, Joonmyun rang the doorbell and waited. There was some sort of commotion inside, some soft, garbled bang before someone opened the door.

"Jongdae," Joonmyun said, even when the door opened to reveal someone who wasn't Jongdae. "You're not Jongdae." he heard himself say, and Joonmyun wanted to smack himself.

"Your Highness," the other man, _older_ man, greeted with a chuckle. "I'm Jongdae's dad, Eunhyuk, please come in." The man opened the door wide and let Joonmyun step in. Joonmyun realized the bag he was holding and offered it quickly to the man.

"These are for Jongdae."

"Oh, wow, thanks. We were just about to go out and buy him supplies. This would really help, thank you. Please take a seat," Eunhyuk said, gesturing to the couches in the middle of the house. "I'll go call Jongdae down, in the meantime, my husband, Donghae will keep you company. Donghae!" Eunhyuk threw Joonmyun one last smile before going up the stairs.

From the hall, another man appeared, smiling at Joonmyun. "Your Highness," he offered his hand for Joonmyun to shake. "I'm Donghae, I'm also Jongdae's dad. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise." Joonmyun shook his hand and sat back down on the couch while Donghae occupied the one adjacent to it. "I'm sorry if this is the first time I'm greeting you. I would've hoped for something more formal."

"It's fine. Jongdae explained to us the circumstances of your relationship, and although both Eunhyuk and I agree that we wished Jongdae would've talked to us first before making a decision, we also understand his reasons for agreeing." Donghae smiled and had this faraway look in his eyes, before returning his gaze back to Joonmyun. "All we hope is that you take good care of our son. He's all we have, you know?"

"Daaad," Jongdae whined from the stairs, causing Joonmyun to whip his head up at the sound. Jongdae looked—adorable, to say the least. With a pout on his face, and looking flushed from his starting heat, Jongdae went down the stairs followed by Eunhyuk. Donghae just chuckled at his son.

Jongdae sat himself down by Joonmyun's side, leaning his head against his shoulder and sighing contentedly. Joonmyun was a little shocked by the contact, before pulling Jongdae closer, understanding that maybe the omega needed some form of comfort. From this close, Joonmyun inhaled the omega’s sweet scent, almost intoxicating him.

"We'll be leaving Jongdae with you for a while, Your Highness. We need to make sure that the house is well stocked with groceries for the week. Come on, Hae," Eunhyuk said, getting the keys from the counter separating the dining room from the living room.

Joonmyun quickly stood up from the couch and nodded, "Yes and please call me Joonmyun."

Eunhyuk and Donghae stopped where they were standing, looked at each other and then smiled at Joonmyun.

"Very well, then, Joonmyun. We'll be back soon," Donghae bid. Before Joonmyun knew it, they were out the door and Jongdae was still on the couch, now with his knees pressed to his chest.

"Are you alright?" Joonmyun asked, pulling Jongdae closer to his side.

Jongdae groaned. "Yeah, just, feeling really hot right now."

"Is this okay?" Joonmyun finally asked.

"Oh, yeah definitely." Jongdae nuzzled his shoulder for a while before sighing. "What're you doing here anyway?"

Joonmyun tightened his hold on Jongdae. "I know we didn't talk about it, and I regret trying to push the topic aside, but since it's happening now, I'd like to be the one to help you through it. If you're still willing to have me."

Jongdae just chuckled. "Dude, that's like the _sweetest_ thing someone can say to me right now."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yeah, Joonmyun, it's definitely a yes. But that can wait for much later. I just need cuddles for now." Jongdae wrapped his arms around Joonmyun's waist and sighed in relief. Joonmyun settled Jongdae on his lap, holding him tight and carefully.

"By the way," Joonmyun asked once a quiet moment had passed. "Why are your parents stocking up on groceries for the rest of the week?"

Jongdae hummed. "They don't stay at home whenever I get heats because—" he paused, looked up at Joonmyun, and then buried his head in the older’s chest. "I'm loud." It took a second for Joonmyun to decipher Jongdae's garbled words, but when he finally heard it, he could see images inside his head start to form, images that he'd really like to forget right now, especially when Jongdae was lying half on top of him.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "I see."

"Oh god, I can't believe I just said that," Jongdae mumbled through his shirt. "But I guess you should know, since you're staying with me for the whole week." He added a laugh, but Joonmyun could hear the uncertainty in it.

"No, it's fine," he said. "Thanks for telling me."

They stayed cuddled on the couch for a while until Jongdae whined for Joonmyun to take him back to his room. Jongdae's room looked clean, cleaner than what Joonmyun was expecting at least. He didn't have clothes lying around the floor, though the sheets on his bed were still unkempt. A desk filled with papers and books stood in the corner of the room, adjacent to his bed. Beside it was a short table for his TV, DVDs and CDs littering the small compartments.

Jongdae went straight for the bed, wrapping his thick blanket around him. Joonmyun lingered by the door for a few more seconds, following after taking a good look around the bedroom. Jongdae immediately wrapped his arms around Joonmyun, rubbing his cheeks all over his clothes and then taking a deep whiff of him.

"You smell _really_ good," Jongdae whispered, resting his head on Joonmyun's shoulder. Joonmyun could tell that the omega was still smelling him with the soft sniffing sound he could occasionally hear. He tried not to smile and pulled Jongdae closer.

It amused Joonmyun to see Jongdae so attached to him. Jongdae wasn't embarrassed to show Joonmyun some form of affection, but today, Jongdae wouldn't even let Joonmyun out of his arms. It was endearing and made Joonmyun's heart all warm inside.

"Are you usually this clingy during your heats?"

"Hmmm, dunno. Never spent my heats with someone else and I never felt the desire to hug my parents."

"I'm honored to be your first cuddling buddy then," Joonmyun said.

"We're home!" sounded from downstairs, followed by the sound of the door closing.

Joonmyun wanted to greet Jongdae's parents, but the younger didn't want to let him go and didn't want to stand up with him.

"Hey there," Eunhyuk greeted. "We're going to put the groceries away and then we’ll be leaving. Joonmyun, is it okay if we leave you two alone for the rest of the week? We usually come by every morning to check up on Jongdae, but we figured you two might want some privacy."

"Although privacy is a good idea, I do think it would be good if you checked up on Jongdae whenever you can throughout the week."

Eunhyuk nodded. "Sounds good. We’ll leave our contact numbers by the fridge. Call us if anything happens or if there's something you need to ask." Eunhyuk went forward and placed a quick kiss over Jongdae's head. "See you soon, Dae."

"Bye dad."

Donghae popped his head by the door before coming over to Jongdae's bed. He pat him on the head, and kissed him on the forehead before bidding Joonmyun goodbye.

"Bye dads," Jongdae muttered when they both walked out of the room, closing the door.

"What do you want to do now?" Joonmyun asked.

"I kind of want to sleep. Is that okay?"

"Yes, of course." Joonmyun rearranged some of the pillows and laid them down, holding Jongdae close until he could feel his warm breath on his neck. Jongdae felt hotter than usual, but Joonmyun knew it was only because of the heat.

Jongdae fell asleep minutes later, arms loosening around Joonmyun. Joonmyun took it as an opportunity to call Minseok. He would need to reschedule a lot of his meetings, as well as a change of clothes now that he was staying for a week. Minseok didn't comment, which relieved Joonmyun immensely. He just said that he would have a car over in a matter of minutes to bring him his things and to leave Joonmyun's schedules in his hands.

"Thanks, Minseok."

"You're more than welcome, Joonmyun."

Joonmyun smiled when he finished the call. He went back to bed and gently brought Jongdae back in his arms, feeling the shudder of relief that coursed through Jongdae's body. He smiled and closed his eyes.

 

* * *

 

Joonmyun woke up to the sound of soft panting in his ear, hot breath warming the skin. Something—or rather, someone wriggled on his side, pressing their hot body to his. He blinked a couple of times, eyes catching the sight of the sunset from the curtained windows and then looked down beside him.

Jongdae laid beside him, eyes half lidded with sweat dripping down his face. His hand reached up, grabbing at Joonmyun's arms weakly.

"Help me," he cried out, voice broken and hoarse.

Joonmyun pushed back the duvet, heart hammering in his chest trying to figure out what to do.

"Jongdae, I'm here. What do you need?" he heard himself ask. He ran a hand up Jongdae's arm, noting the heat of his skin, how he ran impossibly hot. He tried to tell himself that it was normal, that temperatures peaked during heats.

"Need you," Jongdae whimpered, sliding closer until he got his head on Joonmyun's lap. "Do something, please," he half-begged. There were pearls of tears at the edges of his eyes and Joonmyun knew what he needed to do, he really did, but he hadn't had sex in a long time. He wasn't sure _how_ to do it.

"Please, Joonmyun?" Jongdae looked up at him, eyes wide and shiny with lust. Joonmyun swallowed down the fear and insecurity and took a deep breath.

"Yes, of course," Joonmyun whispered, fingers tangling in Jongdae's hair. "Come here." He gently pulled Jongdae up so he was sitting on his lap and not lying down on it. Jongdae peered at him, eyes a little unfocused until they settled on his lips. Before Jongdae could open his mouth to plead once more, Joonmyun closed the distance between them.

Joonmyun didn't know if it was the heat, but Jongdae tasted sweet, like the chocolates he loved as a child. He pulled Jongdae closer, wanting to taste more, needing to savor the flavor. Jongdae moaned through the kiss, pressing closer and tilting his head to slot their lips better. Joonmyun bit on Jongdae's bottom lip, pulling slightly before separating, breath ragged.

"You smell good," Jongdae whispered, breathing deeply as he rested his forehead against Joonmyun's.

"You smell like chocolates," Joonmyun answered, taking another whiff of the air around them and caught the scent of the sweet treat. He hadn't had chocolate in years, but that just made Jongdae even more desirable to him.

Jongdae chuckled, adjusting his position on Joonmyun's lap to straddle him. "Do I taste like chocolates too?" He smirked, lips curling to the side of his lips. For some unknown reason, Joonmyun felt compelled to kiss it off his lips. He found himself acting on the impulse, the feeling of Jongdae's lips the only sign he'd done so.

"So, do I?" Jongdae asked when he pulled away, grin so wide they stretched his lips across his face.

Joonmyun couldn't help but smile back at him. "Yes, you taste like chocolates."

Jongdae hummed, pressing a kiss to Joonmyun's forehead, and nuzzled his nose. "You taste good too, you know that?" he whispered, breath warm on Joonmyun's lips. Jongdae leaned in for a quick peck before kissing the side of his jaw. "You taste like," a kiss on his neck, "the ocean." This time, Jongdae took a small lick at the junction of Joonmyun's neck before biting the smooth skin.

Joonmyun held his breath, trying to fight the moan from reaching past his lips. "And you like that?"

"Yeah," Jongdae breathed. His hands busied themselves with feeling Joonmyun through his crisp shirt. "Can we please take off our clothes now?"

Joonmyun chuckled, although it came out a lot breathier than he intended. "Yes, we can," he said, words almost stuck to his throat. Jongdae eagerly undid his buttons, messing up whenever he got too excited, and Joonmyun's hands lingered on the hem of Jongdae's shirt, feeling the hot skin beneath.

He took a deep breath and slowly dragged Jongdae's shirt up. Bit by bit, more of Jongdae's skin showed, the soft gathering of hair at the edge of his pajama pants, and then his navel, a deep depression of skin. Joonmyun was quickly learning how bad of an idea it was to slowly take off Jongdae's shirt. All this anticipation he brought onto himself was bound to kill him.

"Joonmyun?" Jongdae whispered, voice low and hands hot on the skin of his shoulders. He hadn't realized that he'd stopped moving, eyes focused on Jongdae's navel. He nodded and quickly pulled off Jongdae's shirt. Jongdae whined when it interrupted his quest to unbutton Joonmyun's shirt but quickly went back to business.

"Why do you always have to look so prim and proper," Jongdae grumbled more to himself as he reached the bottom part of Joonmyun's shirt. Joonmyun smiled apologetically and helped Jongdae take the rest of his shirt off, trying to distract his eyes from Jongdae's well sculpted body.

"Wow," followed by a short and soft whistle. Jongdae dragged his hands down Joonmyun's pecs, fingers brushing against his nipples before feeling his abs. "You have a really nice body." Jongdae's fingers lingered on the dips of the muscles, tracing the lines they created.

"So do you," Joonmyun said, trying to keep calm despite the heat pooling low in his gut. To prove his point, he lifted a hand to touch Jongdae's abs, not as defined as his, but still there. Jongdae hissed at the touch, especially when Joonmyun's fingers landed on the skin just above his pants.

"Okay. I really need us to be naked. Like right now," he said through gritted teeth, hands tightening on Joonmyun's waist. Joonmyun nodded and unbuttoned his pants, leaving Jongdae to deal with his own. Jongdae had his pants off in seconds and when he saw that Joonmyun wasn't done, he gave him a helping hand, pulling on the fabric the moment Joonmyun got the zipper down.

Joonmyun tried not to look at Jongdae's cock. He really did. He tried to look at the space above Jongdae's head but the _need_ to admire Jongdae's body was so tempting. And so, he found his gaze slowly flitting downwards until he could see Jongdae eagerly smile at him, on his hands and knees as he crawled back up Joonmyun's legs. Jongdae's cock hung low in between his legs, hard and pulsing as he moved.

Jongdae took a deep breath when he finally caught sight of Joonmyun in all his naked glory. Pale skin glittering with sweat and all of it only for Jongdae. He smirked at the sight of Joonmyun’s cock, a reasonable size, a little bit longer than his own and wider. He could almost feel it stretching him. His entrance ached for it, dripping with anticipation.

Joonmyun took his eyes away from Jongdae's cock and locked eyes with Jongdae. The younger looked at him hungrily, eyes blown wide and Joonmyun knew that this was Jongdae's heat reaching its peak. Jongdae reclaimed his position on Joonmyun's lap and sighed when he finally, _finally_ felt the heat of Joonmyun's skin against his own. Joonmyun almost choked when Jongdae sat directly atop his growing arousal, but tried to keep calm, tried to remember his health classes, all the tips his instructor taught them about heat sex.

"I put the lube and condoms that you bought in the drawer over there," Jongdae said, wrapping his arms around Joonmyun. "So, you can use them anytime you want. Although, I'd prefer it if you used them now."

"Sorry." Joonmyun gave Jongdae an unsure smile. "I just—"

"You're probably overthinking this." Jongdae sighed. He shook his head and kissed Joonmyun on the lips. "Don't think about it too much and just _fuck me_." With a hand at the back of Joonmyun's head, Jongdae pulled him in for a rough kiss. It was enough to throw away all of Joonmyun's coherent thoughts.

Jongdae had never kissed Joonmyun like this, his mouth dominating against Joonmyun's, tongue darting out of his own lips to taste Joonmyun. This time, Joonmyun groaned when he felt Jongdae's tongue against his own, wrapping around the muscle and then sucking it out of his own lips. He could feel himself getting harder, and with the way Jongdae circled his hips against Joonmyun's crotch, he was sure he'd get there pretty soon.

Jongdae smirked once he felt the press of Joonmyun's hardness on his ass cheeks, pulling away to admire it. He curled a hand around Joonmyun’s cock and smiled at the way Joonmyun threw his head back. He crawled off of the alpha's lap and pulled his legs apart to settle himself in between. Jongdae’s smile grew bigger at the hitches in Joonmyun's breathing. He locked eyes with the alpha and continued stroking.

Without looking away, Jongdae slowly opened his mouth and took the tip of Joonmyun's cock in his mouth. He sucked at the bulbous head, tongue swirling on the slit in the center, making Joonmyun gasp.

"Jongdae," he whispered. He wanted to tell him to stop, that he should be the one taking care of Jongdae. Jongdae moaned and the vibrations around his cock sent stars in his eyes. Joonmyun could barely think straight anymore. He fisted the sheets in his hands, closed his eyes but even then, the image of Jongdae with his cock in his mouth burned bright. They flashed open to catch Jongdae taking in more of him, lips sliding down until he had his nose buried in the dark curls at the base.

Joonmyun choked on air and tried to push Jongdae back, worried that he couldn't breathe. Jongdae pushed Joonmyun's hands away and slid back on his own, hollowing his cheeks and releasing Joonmyun's cock with a pop, spitting back on his hand to coat it around Joonmyun's cock. He stroked it a couple times before taking it in his mouth again, swallowing down the length before releasing it.

Joonmyun groaned every time he felt Jongdae's throat work around his cock. He lost himself in the heat and wetness of Jongdae's mouth, the way he worked his hand around the base and the little moans he'd do when he had him half in his mouth. Jongdae would meet his eyes then, locking until he couldn't keep it up anymore. Joonmyun would bite down on his lips and watch Jongdae suck on his cock before pulling away.

"Jongdae," Joonmyun moaned. He could feel himself get closer, feel his knot start forming. He knew that for heats it was always better for omegas to come once before the alpha’s knot locked them in place. "Jongdae," he called again when Jongdae moaned around his cock. He bit his lip when Jongdae slowly, torturously pulled back, looking defiantly up at him.

"What?"

Joonmyun took a deep breath and pulled Jongdae up so they could lie back down on the bed together. "Let me take care of you," he whispered on his lips before kissing him, tasting himself on Jongdae's tongue.

Distracted by the kiss, Joonmyun rolled them over so he was on top of Jongdae. Jongdae wound his arms around Joonmyun, nails scratching against his scalp. He moaned through the kiss, feeling the heat of Joonmyun's hands wandering around his body, pausing on his nipples.

Joonmyun pulled away and looked down at the hardened nubs, a dusty brown standing out against the fairness of Jongdae's skin. He rolled them in between his fingers, his eyes unable to look away. Jongdae whimpered at the touch, especially when only one side of his chest could feel the warmth and focus of Joonmyun's attention.

It took Joonmyun a second before he realized what he really wanted to do, and before he could second guess himself, he pressed a soft kiss to Jongdae's nipple.

"Joonmyun, please," Jongdae whined, catching Joonmyun's free hand and placing it on top of his free nipple. Joonmyun willingly played with the bud while his mouth busied itself with sucking and licking the other.

"Oh god," Jongdae cried out, head thrown back against the pillows. He rocked his hips against Joonmyun's and without much thought, Joonmyun's free hand went to hold Jongdae's cock, stroking the length loosely. The sensory overload caught Jongdae off guard; his moan dying on his lips.

Joonmyun felt himself smile, proud that he could bring Jongdae to such pleasure.

"Fuuuuuck," Jongdae cursed when Joonmyun flicked his wrist. It had Joonmyun pulling away to chuckle at Jongdae. Jongdae tried not to curse when he was around, and Joonmyun could tell he was having a hard time doing so.

Jongdae just glared at him, closing his eyes whenever he could feel the pleasure build up. "I thought you were a virgin," he groaned out, causing Joonmyun to laugh once more.

"I'm sorry to disappoint," he said, leaning in to kiss Jongdae's moans out of his lips.

"Trust me," Jongdae said when Joonmyun pulled away. He let out a short chuckle and smiled. "You're far from disappointing." He pulled Joonmyun back in for another kiss.

Joonmyun didn't stop stroking Jongdae's cock, spitting in his hand when the glide became too rough. He could tell from the soft sounds that escaped Jongdae’s lips that he was getting closer.

"Do you want to come?" Joonmyun found himself asking.

"Yes," Jongdae breathed, but shook his head when Joonmyun sped up the rhythm of his hands. "But not this way." He took a deep breath and pulled Joonmyun's hand away from his cock, dragging it down to his wet hole. "This way, _please_."

Joonmyun breathed in through his nose, could smell Jongdae's potent scent from where his fingers touched. Wetness gathered at Jongdae's entrance dripping down on the bedspread. He peered at it curiously, before pressing two fingers softly against it. Jongdae drew in a harsh breath, biting on his lip to keep a moan from letting out.

"Don't," Joonmyun said without thinking. His hand was already on Jongdae's chin, fingers pulling Jongdae's lip away from his teeth. Jongdae just smirked at him and in retaliation, Joonmyun swirled his fingers around his entrance, pressing the tip of his middle finger in before pulling back out.

"Such a tease," Jongdae panted. Joonmyun simply smiled at him before turning his attention back to Jongdae's hole, catching the way it clenched before easing up. Taking a deep breath, Joonmyun pressed his finger inside.

"Lube," Jongdae reminded, hand scrambling for the night stand that he couldn't quite reach. "Please, lube, Joonmyun, lube," he pleaded even though he clenched around the digit, pulling more of it in. Joonmyun nodded and reached for the lube, having to pull his attention away from his finger pressing slowly inside of Jongdae.

He just barely held back the triumphant cheer threatening to escape his lips when he found it and focused instead on using the lube on his fingers on Jongdae. After coating his finger and Jongdae with a decent amount, Joonmyun went back to slowly thrust his finger inside of Jongdae. Jongdae whimpered at the slow pace but gasped when Joonmyun finally had it knuckle deep.

Joonmyun watched with great attention, sliding his finger in out and out until the slide became easier. Jongdae's grip on the sheets tightened but he didn't urge Joonmyun to go faster. Once Joonmyun was sure Jongdae could handle it, he coated his second finger and pressed it in along with the other.

"Shit," Jongdae breathed, trying to relax. Joonmyun looked up and caught sight of Jongdae's cock twitching. He reached a hand and started stroking slowly. "You're gonna kill me," Jongdae whispered when Joonmyun started a rhythm, thrusting his fingers at the same time he stroked his cock.

Joonmyun smirked, returning his attention to his fingers, thrusting them faster and then scissoring them when he could.

"Joonmyun, please," Jongdae started begging, resting on his elbows so he could look at the man in between his legs. "Please, please fuck me, please."

Joonmyun just shook his head and added another finger, lips curling into a small smile when Jongdae accepted the digits all together. "Fuck," Jongdae cursed, falling back down on the pillows. His hips moved of their own accord, pushing back against Joonmyun's hand and thrusting up in time with his strokes. Tears pooled in the corner of his eyes as he thought about getting off, about coming. "Joonmyun, please."

"All right," Joonmyun said. He pulled his fingers and hands away, Jongdae crying out at the loss, and looked for the condoms. Before he could reach the drawer, Jongdae grabbed his hand and looked at him, eyes blown and hazy with need.

"Now, pleasepleaseplease," he said.

Joonmyun took a quick glance at the drawer, remembered the pack of condoms he'd seen and then at Jongdae shivering on the bed.

"Just fuck me already!"

And that made Joonmyun’s decision for him. He pulled his hand back and coated his throbbing length with lube. Jongdae huffed in relief when he felt Joonmyun press the head of his cock against his entrance. Joonmyun took a deep breath and held it, pushing in as slow as his will and power would allow. Jongdae felt hot and _perfect_ wrapped all around him, enough to make him lose himself. But he didn’t lose sanity just yet. He held on and pushed in slowly, inch by inch until Jongdae was begging and crying out.

"Please, Joonmyun, yes, that's it, so good," praised Jongdae. He didn't make much sense but it egged Joonmyun on, the way his voice turned breathy and throaty, how he whimpered and moaned every single time Joonmyun pushed in a little more. "So good, so hot, you're so hard."

Joonmyun gritted his teeth as he buried all of himself inside of Jongdae.

"Fucking, Joonmyun," Jongdae cried out, pulling Joonmyun into his arms. Joonmyun closed his eyes, unable to focus on anything other than Jongdae clamping down on his cock, slowly grinding down on him. He could feel his self-control slipping away, feel animalistic need replacing it.

"Joonmyun," Jongdae breathed by his ear. "Move."

Something inside Joonmyun snapped. He pulled back and thrust back in, rhythm lost in his mind while his body moved as it wanted to. He could barely feel the sting of Jongdae's nails scratching his back, could barely hear the cries of his name falling like waterfall from Jongdae's lips. Jongdae grabbed his face, giving him a bruising kiss and Joonmyun felt himself come back, returning the kiss.

"What was that?" Jongdae asked when Joonmyun's pace slowed down just slightly.

"I don't know," Joonmyun struggled to reply. He could still feel the need to thrust in deep and fast.

"Well, don't stop on my account." Jongdae smirked, spreading his legs wider. His hands settled by Joonmyun's backside, pulling him deeper. Jongdae's words died on his moan as Joonmyun thrust faster, obliging Jongdae's pleads of _faster, harder, yes, that's it, there right there._

"God, Joonmyun," Jongdae cried out, stars exploding in his eyes as Joonmyun's thrusts pressed his cock right up at his prostate. "You're gonna make me come."

"That's the plan," Joonmyun managed to say as he tried to keep his pace, his grip on Jongdae's hips almost bruising.

Jongdae's laugh caught in his throat when Joonmyun started grinding his cock inside of him, his knot catching on his rim. Joonmyun relished the reactions Jongdae let out, the soft cries and all the cursing he did when he couldn't get a coherent thought to form. When Jongdae clenched around him, around his growing knot, Joonmyun knew he was close.

"So big," Jongdae whimpered at the feeling of Joonmyun’s knot. It stretched him almost impossibly wide, but Joonmyun allowed Jongdae enough time to adjust to the feeling of it with each drive in. Joonmyun slowed his pace but rammed in deeper inside of Jongdae, grinding his knot further inside. He wanted Jongdae to come and he stroked Jongdae's cock, trying to get him there faster. "Joonmyun."

"It's alright," Joonmyun urged. "I'm going to come," he whispered, _breathed_ , in Jongdae's ears.

"Come then," Jongdae said, almost lost in all his moans. "Come inside me."

Joonmyun drove in faster, lips finding their way to kiss Jongdae. His hand stroked in time with his rhythm and he choked every time his knot made it harder to push back in and pull out. It drove him crazy, thrusting without sense, just chasing their pleasures until Joonmyun couldn't think of anything but coming.

"Oh god," he heard Jongdae cry out. "I'm coming," he said. "Coming, Joonmyun, Joonmyun." Joonmyun could hear him but he was so lost; he needed to come just as much as Jongdae and finally, on a particularly deep thrust, Joonmyun's knot wouldn't let him pull back.

"Fuckfuckfuckjoonmyun," Jongdae cried out, clenching around Joonmyun's knot and then he came, his cock pulsing in Joonmyun's grip. Joonmyun growled Jongdae's name out when he came, Jongdae still tightening around him, their bodies shaking together.

Jongdae was the first to calm down, moaning tiredly at the spray of Joonmyun's cum inside him. Joonmyun fell on top of Jongdae, resting his head on Jongdae's shoulder, coming down from his high minutes later. His heart still hammered in his chest but he could think a little clearly now.

"I think that might've been the best sex I've ever had," Jongdae said with a soft chuckle. Joonmyun smiled, feeling the way Jongdae's body shook with his own skin.

"I'm honored," Joonmyun said, lifting his head to look at Jongdae.

Jongdae snorted, before laughing, tightening up around Joonmyun's knot and then moaning. It was an amusing sight, causing a smile on Joonmyun's face. He wouldn't feel much pleasure from the action until a few more minutes later. "You sound so weird, all formal-like but talking about sex, saying you're _honored_ for being my best sex partner. That's just–" Jongdae laughed and Joonmyun just smiled, amused at Jongdae's ramblings. "Okay, I lied. I actually find the way you talk to be very endearing." He leaned up to plant a kiss on Joonmyun's lips before falling back on the bed.

"When do you think your knot will go down?"

"I don't know. Probably in an hour?"

"Well I think it's time for an hour long cuddle then." Jongdae opened his arms and embraced Joonmyun. Joonmyun laughed and rolled them to their side so he too could wrap his arms around Jongdae.

"Thanks, Joonmyun."

"You're welcome, Jongdae."

 

* * *

 

Half an hour later, when Joonmyun's knot died down, they realized how hard it was to be tied together in such a position for a long time.

They spent the rest of the week trying to find a comfortable position to do it in. All of the suggestions were given by Jongdae, pulling Joonmyun close to whisper in his ears how he wanted to be fucked. Joonmyun would feel his cheeks burn with embarrassment and arousal, but would comply, always, _always_ obliging Jongdae until he had the younger begging and crying on his knot.

Joonmyun would make sure to take breaks in between, cooking and feeding Jongdae, making sure Jongdae was hydrated and checking if they still had supplies. Eunhyuk and Donghae would drop by in the mornings, thanking Joonmyun for taking care of their son and Joonmyun would blush bright red at the mention but accepted their gratitude.

Jongdae's heat broke on the fourth day, with the moon high in the sky and Joonmyun coming inside him for one last time. They collapsed on the bed in a tangled mess, bodies tired from the amount of sex they've had. Somewhere in the night, Joonmyun pulled Jongdae into his arms and dreamed of the perfect royal family, of kings and little princesses and princes running along the garden of the castle.

 

* * *

 

Joonmyun woke up to the sound of humming and when he opened his eyes, Jongdae lay beside him, eyes staring up at the ceiling, mouth open to let out a soft beautiful singing voice.

"You have such a lovely voice," Joonmyun murmured. Jongdae flinched before turning to him, smiling so bright that he threatened the sun the brightness of the morning outside.

"I know."

"You should sing more often."

Jongdae hummed. "Maybe I will. Do you have any requests?"

Joonmyun groaned, turning on the bed and blinking himself awake. "I don't know. How about you sing me your favorite song?"

"That's easy enough." Jongdae closed his eyes and pressed himself to the side of Joonmyun. Warm skin against warm skin.

_To me, you’re more brilliant  
And dazzling than an angel_

At the word angel, Jongdae opened his eyes to lock onto Joonmyun's, smiling up at him as the wind carried his voice around the room.

_If anyone is unjust to you  
I definitely wouldn’t allow that_

Joonmyun turned to his side and closed his eyes, leaning in until the tip of his nose brushed against Jongdae's. The omega continued to sing, his voice piercing straight into Joonmyun's soul. The mild scent of chocolates mixed with the soft trills of Jongdae's voice would paint a picture—a memory in Joonmyun’s heart that he'd keep for a lifetime.

 

* * *

 

Joonmyun tried not to sigh as he got ready to leave. Jongdae wouldn't be going back to work, but Joonmyun still had Alpha King Kyuhyun to take care of.

"Don't look so sad," Jongdae comforted, drying his hair and looking comfy in his home clothes.

"I'm not sad," Joonmyun tried to say, but it felt too much of a stretch. Even he could tell how hard it was to part with Jongdae like this. After having spent five full days with Jongdae, tied together so intimately, it just seemed impossible.

"There's a little furrow in between your eyebrows that says you are," Jongdae said with a huff, getting up from his bed to stand in front of Joonmyun. He placed a short kiss on Joonmyun's cheeks. "The faster you settle this Alpha King Kyuhyun issue, the sooner we'll get to have more alone time," wiggling his eyebrows for emphasis. Joonmyun just chuckled and rested his head on Jongdae's.

"I'll see you soon."

Jongdae kissed him briefly on the lips. "Sooner, I hope."

Jongdae watched as Joonmyun walked out of his bedroom door. Because barely a day had passed since his heat broke, he still wouldn't be allowed out of his room or the house. Jongdae opted to stay in his room where the scent of the ocean lingered.

Joonmyun turned back over his shoulder and caught Jongdae about to lie down on his bed. He closed the door on his way out. When he got down, he caught Eunhyuk and Donghae making lunch.

“Joonmyun, good morning,” they greeted.

“Good morning, sir,” Joonmyun addressed. He wasn’t quite sure what to call them and settled for something more formal.

“Please, just call us Eunhyuk and Donghae,” Eunhyuk said, grabbing some plates. “Want to join us for breakfast?”

“No, thank you, that won’t be necessary. I have to settle some matters back home.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. Maybe next time then?” Donghae said.

“Yes, of course. I also wanted to thank you for allowing me to stay—” Joonmyun fought the blush creeping his cheeks. “—with Jongdae throughout his heat and for giving us some privacy. If there’s ever anything I can do to repay your kindness, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Eunhyuk and Donghae shared a look before smiling at Joonmyun.

“Please don’t worry too much about it, Joonmyun. We’re the ones who are grateful because you took good care of our son,” Eunhyuk said.

Joonmyun flushed at the words _took care_ and quickly bid the older couple his goodbyes before he could make a fool of himself.

A car was already waiting for him when he opened the door and Joonmyun threw one last look at the house, at the window where Jongdae's bedroom rested.

"Your Highness?" Taeil called out. He already had the door open. Joonmyun tore his gaze away from the window and stepped inside.

The past few days felt like a dream and Joonmyun almost couldn’t believe it was over now. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel the burn of Jongdae’s skin under his hands, his soft cries in his ears. He shook his head clear of such thoughts and opened his eyes. It was time to go back and become King again.

 

* * *

 

"Your Highness," Minseok greeted as soon as he stepped in. "I'm sorry I couldn't come along to pick you up, but there were urgent matters that needed to be taken care of."

"What matters? What happened while I was gone?"

Minseok frowned. "Alpha King Kyuhyun has flown back to Venocia without signing the treaty."

"What?" Joonmyun asked, voice low but surprise evident. He seemed to have caught himself and took a deep breath. "Why?"

"He didn't say. He wouldn't say anything, not to us at least. All he said was that he was leaving. He left you a note, but all it said was thank you for your hospitality and that he would come back again someday." Minseok handed him the crisp ivory paper, folded in threes, with the Venocian Royal Family's letterhead decorating the top.

Joonmyun's eyes scanned the paper, but found nothing new to add to what Minseok had just told him. He looked back at Minseok, wide eyed and confused, before folding the paper and handing it back to Minseok. There was nothing they could do now. Kyuhyun was gone and he didn’t sign the treaty. Joonmyun took a couple of deep breaths and tried not to think of the worst case scenario yet.

"Please tell me there's at least some good news," he said instead. At those words, a soft smile made it's way on Minseok's lips.

"Why, yes, there is one as a matter of fact. Omega Prince Consort Kyungsoo is pregnant."

Joonmyun's eyes widened at the news, but the thought of having a nephew, of his little brother creating a life, stole all his breath and attention. Thoughts of Kyuhyun went away, replaced by thoughts of his brother's family, of a little Kim prince running around the castle whenever they visited. A part of Joonmyun recalled a passing dream before it faded.

"Call Jongin and Kyungsoo. Ask them to have dinner with me whenever they can. On second thought, schedule it on Sunday, when Jongdae can finally come out of his house." Joonmyun thought about it and nodded, smiling when he thought babies and children, of _family_.

"Would that be all, Your Highness?"

Joonmyun made to say more, he really did, but nothing would come to mind. "Yes, that's all for now. Thank you, Minseok."

Even when he dismissed Minseok to do as he commanded, the niggling thought that he'd forgotten something never quite left him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Jongdae was singing was [Angel (Into Your World) Chinese ver.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9z9PGZQ3S0)


	10. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~ Welp. Sorry again but this is unbeta-ed huhu ~~

A week had passed and Joonmyun still hadn't heard anything from Kyuhyun. He'd made some statements as soon as he got back to Venocia, clarifying that they'd begun peace talks with Sedocia but that they hadn't come to an agreement. Joonmyun clenched his fists under the table while he watched. He would be forced to make the same statement, and although it wasn't a lie, it pushed his—the ERU's plans further behind.

There hadn't been any other news after they both clarified their stance. Donocia still sided with Venocia and Namcia had already begun restructuring their laws to honor the treaty. Joonmyun took a deep breath and told himself that no news was good news.

"You okay?"

Joonmyun blinked his eyes open to find Jongdae pausing the video on the laptop, looking at him with worried eyes.

"Yes, I'm just fine."

Jongdae cocked his head to the side. "You're worried," he mused. "What are you worried about?"

Joonmyun took a deep breath. He no longer debated whether he should tell Jongdae these matters. He would find out one way or another, and they were already on their way to holy matrimony. "I've just been thinking about how quiet it was. After Alpha King Kyuhyun left, I figured something would have happened by now."

Jongdae gripped his hand. "Shouldn't that be a good thing?"

"I'm not sure." Joonmyun took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "It feels like something is going to happen and—" Joonmyun swallowed, afraid of the power of his words.

"And what?"

"And I won't be strong enough to handle it."

Jongdae peeked around them for a second before scooting closer to Joonmyun. They were back in the book cafe, seated in their favorite nook. He pulled Joonmyun into his arms and made sure to hold him tight before letting go.

"It doesn't matter if you're strong enough, Joonmyun," he whispered. "Because we're all gonna help you through it, no matter what comes your—our way. I promise." He placed a small kiss on Joonmyun's temple. It relaxed Joonmyun slightly, resting his head on Jongdae's shoulder.

"Thank you," he breathed.

"You're welcome. Now, let's go back to watching this cartoon. You haven't been paying attention for the past few minutes and I have no one else to ask all these questions I have."

Joonmyun chuckled and pulled back from the comfort of Jongdae's body, returning his attention to the cartoon they were watching. It was Joonmyun's favorite.

Jongdae stayed close beside him, resting his head against his shoulder as they continued to watch together. Joonmyun took a small glance at Jongdae before returning his eyes on the screen. He was glad he wasn't alone, at least not anymore. It was different now than when he took on the crown soon after his parents died. Back then, he'd been young and unready, his whole family grieving. Now, he had Jongdae, Jongdae who could hold his hand and stand by his side, through it all.

 

* * *

 

The first week of August marked the second week of Alpha King Kyuhyun's departure. By then, Joonmyun had occupied himself with more pressing matters, ERU meetings, government issues (there were rumors of a corrupt chief abusing his authority), and helping Jongin and Kyungsoo with their pregnancy. He had no time to think about Kyuhyun or how he had the upper hand in their situation.

"Are you sure it's alright for you to be here?" Jongin asked, standing beside him in the doctor's office. Kyungsoo laid down on the bed in a hospital gown, promptly ignoring them to flip through some pamphlet. Jongdae was looking around the room. This would be their first time coming along for an appointment.

"Don't worry," Joonmyun said, smiling. "I've managed to fit it in my schedule so it's not going to interrupt anything."

Jongin shook his head and gave his older brother an amused smile. "You'd go that far for us, hyung?"

Joonmyun smiled. "Not for you, but for my nephew or niece." At this both Jongin and Kyungsoo barked out a laugh.

"Our baby's gonna be so spoiled," Kyungsoo commented.

"Do you already know the gender or the status?" Jongdae asked, standing beside Joonmyun.

Kyungsoo smiled fondly. "We both wanted to wait until the birth to find out. Kind of like a surprise."

"Oh, wow, that's so cool." Jongdae turned to Joonmyun then and grinned. "Do you think we should do that?"

Joonmyun almost choked on his saliva at the question. He managed to keep his composure and gave Jongdae a wry smile. "We’ll discuss it when it happens."

"You're right," Jongdae just smirked and winked at him. Joonmyun swallowed down the lump in his throat and stayed quiet. Luckily, their family doctor came in, ready to give Kyungsoo his check-up.

"Is there a reason that Your Highness is here?" Dr. Kim Yesung, greeted, smiling at them.

"No, we just wanted to offer our moral support to the couple," Joonmyun coolly replied.

"Alrighty then, I'm assuming you'll both want pictures of the ultrasound as well?" Yesung asked, preparing the machine and putting on his gloves.

Joonmyun couldn't hide his fascination when he watched Yesung do his job. The doctor put some sort of gel on Kyungsoo's stomach before pressing the wand in his hand against it. The screen on the machine lit up with white and grey blobs.

"Is that the baby?" Jongdae asked, peering closer to the screen that showed the small body of a baby. Kyungsoo gasped and Jongin leaned closer, hand gripping Kyungsoo's tightly. Both their eyes shone with unshed tears and Joonmyun couldn't help but feel proud and happy for them.

"It's our baby, Kyungsoo," Jongin uttered. "Our aegi gom." He leaned back and gave Kyungsoo a kiss on the forehead and then the lips. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered. Joonmyun looked away, focusing on the baby on the ultrasound, his soon-to-be nephew or niece.

"So if we ever have a child," Jongdae whispered beside him. "It's going to look like that." He turned a glance at the happy couple on the bed, cooing at Kyungsoo's small baby bump. He swallowed and then held Joonmyun's hand. Joonmyun just squeezed his hand back, too preoccupied with thoughts of the future, of possibly becoming a family with Jongdae.

"You'll be with me when that happens right?" Jongdae whispered, drawing him away from his thoughts.

"Always," Joonmyun answered sincerely. Jongdae seemed to relax at that, loosening his grip on Joonmyun's hand.

Yesung proceeded to continue his check up of Kyungsoo, reminding him of the things he could and couldn't do, told him what Kyungsoo would experience now that he reached the second trimester. Jongdae paid closer attention than Joonmyun did, and Joonmyun thought that maybe he was taking notes, causing him to smile. When they finished, Yesung handed them copies of the ultrasound, handing Kyungsoo a few more extras for his parents.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Kim," Kyungsoo and Jongin said.

"You're welcome. Please don't forget your appointment for next month." He then turned to Jongdae and Joonmyun. "Now that you're here, is there anything you'd like me to check for the both of you?"

Jongdae stiffened beside him and Joonmyun hid his laugh with a dismissive smile to Yesung.

"That won't be necessary, doctor. Thank you for all you've done today."

 

* * *

 

Joonmyun was in the middle of his break, sipping his tea while he watched cartoons in the library. The episode he was watching had just ended and he was in the middle of contemplating whether to watch some more or do something else. Just as he was about to press the play button, the phone line for the castle rang.

"This is Joonmyun speaking."

"Your Highness, sorry to disturb your break," Minseok started. "But Jongdae and his family are here to see you. They say it's urgent."

Joonmyun's eyes widened at the mention of Jongdae's family, but he closed his laptop and fixed himself up.

"Thank you. Put them in the small conference room and serve some drinks and snacks. I'll be on my way."

"Yes, Your Highness." Joonmyun put the phone down and ran through every possible reason he could think of that would bring Jongdae's family to the castle without prior notice. Nothing came to mind, but he wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

When Joonmyun entered the small conference room, Eunhyuk and Donghae stood up from where they were seated, bowing low in greeting.

"Please," Joonmyun said, urging them to stop. "You don't have to do that." They both gave Joonmyun a bashful smile before returning to their seats. Joonmyun went over to greet Jongdae, a soft peck on his cheek before taking the seat at the head of the table.

"My advisor tells me that you needed to see me. If this is about the compensation I promised you, by all means, please ask away."

Eunhyuk and Donghae exchanged glances before frowning at Joonmyun.

"Your Highness—"

"Please call me Joonmyun."

"Joonmyun, we're embarrassed ourselves to be saying this but yes. My husband and I have talked about this countless times, but we just can't do this without your help," Donghae began.

"We need your help in rescuing a male omega from Venocia. We understand that you've dealt closely with such matters, and so have we. Back when we were younger, Donghae and I worked as part of the rebel group in Venocia that helped transport omegas and slaves to Sedocia. When Jongdae's mother died, we decided to take a break from helping out so we could raise Jongdae," Eunhyuk gave Jongdae a fond smile.

"It's just that with raising Jongdae and all, we never got to continue and we ended up stopping completely." Donghae continued to explain. "The problem is we've lost most of our resources and contacts that we had back then, not to mention, the intel we've gathered is all outdated."

"We need your help, Your Highness, in getting us in and out of Venocia's borders with the omega," Eunhyuk pleaded.

Joonmyun sat back and nodded. "I see and it has to be the two of you that completes this mission?"

"Yes, we're the only ones who knows what they look like and they've requested not to be identified to other people. There's a lot at stake here if and when people discover their true identity," Eunhyuk explained.

"Wait, what?" Jongdae almost screamed. “I didn’t hear anything about this.” He turned to Joonmyun, eyes pleading with him. Joonmyun tried to convey with his eyes that he’d try his best and looked at the couple before him. They looked worn with age, but their bodies were toned and well in shape. He remembered reading that they were dance instructors. Joonmyun was just about to add in some of his protests when Eunhyuk spoke up.

"We absolutely cannot trust anyone else to complete this mission. Donghae and I have experience in getting people in and out of Venocia. Our knowledge may be outdated, but it doesn't mean we're incapable."

Joonmyun intervened. "I understand that there may be advantages to your handling the mission, but I suggest we talk this out with someone with more expertise than me. I also suggest that we bring the ERU into this. If this is about rescuing an omega, then there might be a need for a change of identity once they enter the kingdom."

Eunhyuk was about to protest but Donghae gripped his hand tight. "Yes, that would be very ideal."

"I'll go make the necessary calls." Joonmyun got up from his seat and approached Minseok, already standing and dialling the numbers. He could hear the small family start discussing to themselves, but he couldn't listen in as Heechul answered the call.

"Heechul, this is Minseok, Royal Advisor, His Highness wishes to speak with you." Minseok handed him the phone.

"Good afternoon, Heechul. I apologize for calling you on a weekend, but I need you to call the ERU members and have them come to the castle. It seems there is some urgent matter we need to take care of."

Heechul sighed deeply from the other end of the line. "I'll see what I can do but I can't promise everyone's availability."

"That should be fine. Thank you, Heechul."

Heechul ended the call instead of replying. Joonmyun then called his Refugee Operations Head, someone who had more experience and insight on the matter.

"Your Highness, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Taeyeon, good day, I hope I’m not disturbing your weekend, but I need your advice and opinion on a possible rescue operation. Do you think you have the time to come down to the castle?"

"I'll be on my way," Taeyeon said in a heartbeat.

"Thank you." Joonmyun ended the call and returned to his seat. He could feel the heavy tension surrounding the family, and flashed Jongdae a worried glance. When Jongdae just shook his head, he decided to push the matter aside.

"They're on their way. I suggest we move this meeting to a bigger conference room as more people will soon crowd this one." Minseok escorted them out and led them to the conference room they used for ERU meetings.

Joonmyun reclaimed his seat at the head of the table, Jongdae to his right and his parents on the other side of Joonmyun. Before they could begin another round of debates as to why or why not they should handle the mission, Joonmyun intervened. "Kim Taeyeon, the Head of our Rescue Operations will be here soon along with the ERU. She'll help you come up with a detailed plan that will help bring the omega to Sedocia. While I understand the need to do something and personally handle this mission, but because this is a very dangerous operation, if she decides you two to be unfit for the mission, I will heed by Taeyeon's decisions. Rest assured, I will leave the rescue mission in the hands of someone I personally know and trust, you have my word."

Eunhyuk bit his lip looking unsure, but Donghae put an arm around his shoulder and whispered something in his ear. A few seconds later, Eunhyuk took a deep breath and nodded. "We understand."

While they waited for Taeyeon and Heechul's party to arrive, Joonmyun had tried to get Eunhyuk and Donghae to give him more details about the omega they were rescuing. They continued to evade the questions and changed the topic whenever they could. Joonmyun could sense from the quiet air around them that there was something more to it, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. He just hoped that Taeyeon or Heechul would be able to extract the information from them.

One by one, members of the ERU began to appear. They introduced themselves to Eunhyuk and Donghae before taking their seat around the table. Once Taeyeon arrived, Joonmyun allowed Eunhyuk to relay his case to the people around.

Eunhyuk repeated what he'd told Joonmyun. Joonmyun tried not to frown, especially with the way Heechul and Taeyeon looked suspiciously at Eunhyuk.

"How is this omega related to you and why are you the only ones who can help him out?" Heechul asked, straight to the point.

Eunhyuk sighed. "We've worked with this omega for years. They’ve helped us escape and transport omegas to Sedocia. They're very close to us and we've only recently found out that they were in grave danger. They're asking us for help and we're the only ones who know how to contact him, how to find him and what methods are best used to do so."

"That may be so, but you've also admitted that your knowledge of Venocia are outdated," Taeyeon pointed out.

"Do you want to help or not!?" Eunhyuk shouted, eyes rimmed red.

Siwon spoke up then. "You'll have to forgive our questions, but you have to understand that from our point of view, this is all very suspicious. The fact that you won't even give out the omega's name or reason for wanting to escape Venocia makes it hard for us to gauge the probable consequences of the mission."

Eunhyuk took a deep and long shuddering breath and bit his lip. Donghae shot him a worried glance before turning to Siwon. "The male omega's pregnant, that's why he wants to run away. And we can't give you his name because he asked us not to. We understand that this may seem like a trap or a hoax, but we would never jeopardize our family and kingdom to such an extent. This person, this omega, is someone very dear to us and we just need your help in saving him. Please."

"All right," Joonmyun finally said. "We'll offer you our assistance."

"But Your Highness," Heechul protested.

"It's going to be fine, Heechul." He flashed him a quick smile. "Whatever happens, we will be prepared."

"Well, if that's the case," Taeyeon said. "We should come up with a plan as soon as possible. If the male omega is pregnant, the longer we wait, the harder it will be to get him out of Venocia. Do you have any idea how you want to go in and out of Venocia?"

"There was a sewage system in Venocia that we used to escape when we were rescuing omegas and slaves from the clutches of dangerous Alpha groups." Eunhyuk turned to Minseok and Joonmyun. "Do you think we could view a map of Venocia?"

Minseok nodded and set up the screen by the wall. In less than a minute, it displayed the current map of Venocia. Eunhyuk stood up and enlarged the image on the screen, zooming in until they could see the manholes littering the kingdom.

"Back then, we'd take this manhole and lead the group out until we reached Sedocia's borders right around here." He traced a line from a manhole out of Venocia's kingdom walls down to the river passing through Venocia and Sedocia. "This sewer was the farthest from the heart of the kingdom, less people around meant less security. We were hoping we could get through this same system, but we're unsure of its accessibility."

"From what I remember when I used to live there, those manholes have been locked, but you can still get in through the disposal site on the borders of Venocia," Siwon said, standing up to point to the exit Eunhyuk was talking about. "These manholes are locked and can only be opened by the Prime Minister. But the manholes for the current sewage system can be opened and accessed through the disposal you plan on entering since they're hard to demolish."

"Will you two be able to find your way despite the changes in direction?" Taeyeon asked.

Donghae peered at the map for a second before, "We probably could but we'll need to memorize the layout of Venocia's sewage system. We'll need some blueprints for that."

"I may be able to get a copy, but I can't leave it here for more than two days," Siwon said, going back to his seat.

"That's more than enough time," Eunhyuk said.

"Wait a minute," Jongdae said, putting his hands up. "Are you really going to let them go through with the mission?"

Taeyeon eyed him for a moment before sighing. "I don't see why not. They're the only ones who know where and how to find the omega. They also have the advantage of having lived in Venocia for far longer than most of our Rescue Specialists. I have people much older than them risking their necks trying to save omegas and slaves. By the determination in their eyes, I can tell they're not going to back down."

Jongdae turned to Joonmyun, but Joonmyun had promised Eunhyuk and Donghae if Taeyeon allowed it, they would be able to go. "I'm sorry," he sighed. "If Taeyeon's given them permission to go, then I trust that she's made this decision based on statistics."

Jongdae gave Joonmyun a disappointed look before lowering his head down. Joonmyun wanted to say more, but there was nothing else he could say to soften the blow of his words. He reluctantly turned away and urged the members to continue planning.

"Will you be in contact with the omega?" Changmin asked.

"Not until we enter Venocia."

"From our estimate, it would be best if you can get out in one—two days tops," Taeyeon suggested. "Do you think you'll have enough time to get in, get him and then get out undetected?"

"It's possible, but we may need to stay somewhere for a while. We can't guarantee how fast we'll be able to get to him once we're able to contact him."

"Then let's plan out everything now so all you have to do is instruct him where to go and what to do." Taeyeon stood up from her seat and then went to the map. "Once you get in Venocia, how do you plan on contacting him, where will you go?"

"That's where we needed help," Eunhyuk admitted with a sigh. "We've lost most of our contacts from the inside and there's no one else that we know who could help us."

"I probably could," Siwon spoke up. "I still go back to Venocia when I visit my family, but we'll need to synchronize it to my schedule if we don't want to risk getting caught."

"When are you scheduled to leave?" Heechul asked.

"Exactly two weeks from now."

"That should be enough time," Eunhyuk said, nodding his head. "We can come up with a good enough plan by then. It will be better if we give you one day in advance to settle in Venocia before we make our move."

"Sounds good," Taeyeon commented. "Where do you live in Venocia? Do you live alone?"

"My house is this one here," Siwon said, pointing at the screen and zooming it on the large home located in the neighborhood closest to the castle.

"Is there a sewer nearby?" Changmin asked. Everyone peered at the screen as Siwon looked around the area.

"This is the closest one to my property," Siwon pointed out a manhole in the middle of the street surrounded by a multitude of trees behind four mansions.

"It looks like a long way from the disposal site to the neighborhood," Changmin pointed. When Siwon zoomed back from the map, they saw that Siwon's neighborhood was on the southern side from the disposal site. "Maybe you can meet them in the middle?"

"But we'll need to coordinate our times for that and we won't be able to contact Siwon until we can get inside Venocia," Donghae pointed out.

"Maybe there's a way," Taeyeon started saying. She stood up once more and stared at the map before her. She enlarged it multiple times and then returned it to view the bigger picture. Everyone held their breath as they waited for her to speak.

"I think I've got it," Taeyeon said, turning her back from the screen and leveling everyone with a look. "There's a place somewhere in Venocia that you can get through from the disposal site. It's a relatively empty space and you could go there, maybe change clothes and blend in with the crowd." Taeyeon turned back and pointed at a blank portion on the screen. "This place is mostly a forest, just a road close enough to the heart of the city. If you can blend in, then you can make a call through a public telephone and Siwon can pick you up wherever you might be."

Taeyeon enlarged the map and then a picture of the city appeared. "Public telephones litter the whole place, but I suggest using this one over here," she scrolled around until she stopped in front of a public park. "This is the telephone booth closest to where you will be entering Venocia. Many kids go to this park looking to be rescued, it's part of our operations' rendezvous point. Try not to immerse yourself with the kids as much as possible or else you will be found out."

"I think we can work with that," Eunhyuk said.

"Good," Taeyeon said. "Now, once you've made contact with Siwon, he will bring you back to his mansion and then you can call your friend. Would you be meeting them somewhere or will you need to go to where he is and take him back?"

"We're planning on meeting him somewhere but it might take some time. He'll need to find an opportunity that will allow him to leave."

"Alright. This means we can at least control where you can meet. Do you know where he's located so that we can find someplace close to your exit point?"

Donghae and Eunhyuk shared a look before eyeing the map. "He'll be somewhere around here." Eunhyuk circled the forest outside of the Venocian Royal Family's castle. Taeyeon pursed her lips, but didn't comment.

"I see. If he's somewhere around there, it'd be best if you can meet up with him around this area. Siwon, can you confirm the accessibility of these manholes?"

"Not yet, it'll have to wait until I can get a copy of the blueprint, but we can probably assume that the ones around the property of the royal family are accessible."

"In the case that some or most of these manholes can't be used, it would be best to meet here," Taeyeon pointed somewhere around the forest, close to at least four manholes. "This spot has the most manholes closest to it. Based on what we can see, it's also close to the disposal site you used for entry. Escaping would most likely be easier when you've met up with your friend. Until we can get our hands on the blueprint for the sewage system of Venocia, these are our preliminary plans. Are there any questions?"

"How will my dads and their friend get back to Sedocia?" Jongdae asked.

"Once they've left Venocia's borders and stepped into Sedocia's, we'll have a car waiting for them."

"Any more?" When no one else spoke, she continued. "Alright. We'll finalize the plans when we've gotten the blueprint, but for now I think we have something solid."

"We have one more request," Eunhyuk said, eyes closed tightly in guilt. "We hope that as much as possible, nothing about this mission comes out of this room."

Everyone looked taken aback except for Taeyeon who peered at them closely before sighing. "I see. I'll make sure not to tell and involve anyone else with the mission."

With Taeyeon's quick confirmation, everyone else started agreeing, even Joonmyun. With the meeting over, members of the ERU began to leave, bidding Joonmyun and Jongdae goodbye until Taeyeon was the only one left.

"Thank you again so much, Joonmyun, for all your help," Eunhyuk said, shaking Joonmyun's hand. He looked about ready to burst into tears. Jongdae on the other hand looked about ready to explode in anger. It made it hard to accept his parents' gratitude.

"You're welcome," he uttered. "It's the least I can do." Jongdae grumbled and glared at Joonmyun but didn't directly address him. His dads sighed at Jongdae's behavior, apologized to Joonmyun and led him out the room. Once the doors closed, Taeyeon cleared her throat.

"Your Highness," she began. "I understand the need to impress your boyfriend's parents, but there's something _fishy_ about this mission. I can't say for sure what it is, but there's something they're not telling us."

Joonmyun took a deep breath. Immediately, all the doubts he had about Eunhyuk and Donghae's rescue mission came back.

"What do you propose we should do?"

Taeyeon sighed. "I'm honestly not sure, Your Highness. I say prepare for the worst, but with the little details that they've given, I'm not sure what the worst could possibly be. But I know one thing for sure," Taeyeon turned to enlarge the forest where the male omega was located. "There is nothing in this part of the forest, just trees and wildlife."

Joonmyun pinched the bridge of his nose. "That may be so, but who's to say that the person we're rescuing hasn't set up some sort of camp around the area."

"It's impossible. No Alpha group would dare build an underground breeding pool around this area, nor will there be an omega brave enough to hide around here. This area is royal family territory."

All the words got knocked out of Joonmyun as soon as Taeyeon finished her statement. There were a lot of implications behind what she had just said, but Joonmyun couldn't think properly with all the questions and speculations occupying his head. He took a few deep breaths and let out an audible exhale.

"Thank you for informing me about that. I will have to think more about this matter, but I can guarantee you that Sedocia will prepare for the worst."

"Good to know, Your Highness. That's all I wanted to say. If you have no more to ask of me, I will take my leave." Taeyeon bowed and left the conference room, leaving Joonmyun alone with Minseok and his thoughts.

"Minseok?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Please brew me some tea. I will be in my study."

"Of course, Your Highness."

Joonmyun stood up and gathered his things from the library. Now wasn't the time for watching cartoons. Now, he needed to be king.

 

* * *

 

It took some time for the blueprints to arrive, but once they were seen and memorized, Taeyeon was able to finalize the plans. Not much had changed from what she suggested, but this time, Eunhyuk and Donghae knew which sewers they could use to pop in and out of the kingdom. They left at the same time Siwon’s plane flew out to Venocia. With them riding by car and Siwon by plane, Siwon would get there one day before they would.

While Taeyeon handled most of the operation details, Joonmyun busied himself with trying to prepare for all the worst case scenarios. He'd opened up the problem with both Minseok and his uncle Jongshin and they tried to help him come up with possible answers.

"Do you think it might not be an omega they were rescuing?" Jongshin asked. They were currently in the small conference room and they've spent the past few days trying to come up with answers.

"That's what I'm worried about. If they've gone to Venocia to retrieve _something_ from the royal family's grasp, Alpha King Kyuhyun might never sign the peace treaty."

"In all honesty, I wouldn't put it past him to wage war on Sedocia," Jongshin said seriously.

"But Eunhyuk and Donghae were also adamant in stressing it was someone they had to save." Joonmyun closed his eyes. "And that someone needed to be saved soon."

"Are you worried it might be a slave of the royal family?" Jonghin asked.

"I thought that too, but it just seems so impossible that a slave would be able to get out of the clutches of the royal family. We've been doing our best to help them for years, but it's never been successful. What’s changed now?"

"We've come up with another blank," Jongshin finally said. "By this time, Eunhyuk and Donghae are already halfway to Venocia. It will be pointless to keep guessing by then."

"I suggest that we prepare for war anyway," Minseok said. "If there is even the slightest chance that Eunhyuk and Donghae rescued someone from the clutches of the royal family, it might not bode well for Sedocia."

Joonmyun took a deep breath and nodded. "Can you schedule me a meeting with General Choi tomorrow at the earliest convenience?"

"Yes, of course, Your Highness."

All throughout the night and the following day, Joonmyun busied himself with thoughts of preparations for war, things he'd have to relay to General Choi. He kept a calm facade and instructed the Army General to train the troops and strategize a possible evacuation plan.

"What's going on Your Highness?"

Joonmyun clenched his fists under the table. "I need you to keep this a secret for now, but we have reason to believe that Sedocia might come under attack very soon. We're not sure when or even if it will happen, but we need to prepare in the case that it does."

"Of course, Your Highness," the general said.

"And General Choi, please keep me updated about the plans and strategies you may have come up with."

General Choi bowed slightly. "Yes, Your Highness." With nothing else to talk about, Joonmyun dismissed him. He stayed in the conference for a couple more minutes before going about his royal duties. He didn't have much time to think about the rescue operation, not when there was so much more to take care of.

 

* * *

 

On the day of their supposed return, Jongdae had begged and pleaded to spend the night at the castle where Eunhyuk and Donghae would be dropped off with the omega. Joonmyun couldn't say no, not after he'd allowed Jongdae's parents to go despite his complaints.

It was nearly midnight now and Jongdae paced back and forth in the sitting room, eyes glancing every second up at the clock.

"What's taking them so long?" Jongdae huffed, crossing his arms and walking around faster. Joonmyun got up from his chair and pulled Jongdae into his arms.

"It's a long trip to Venocia and back, you and I both know that. Even with a car to drive them all the way back with no stops, it's going to take at least two whole days."

Jongdae buried his head in Joonmyun's chest. "I just—" he took a deep shuddering breath and gripped tightly on Joonmyun's clothes. "I just can't lose my parents again." Joonmyun's heart ached with those words and he tightened his hold on Jongdae.

"They're going to be just fine. If they can save your life, they can definitely save this man's life and come back safe."

"I really fucking hope so," Jongdae muttered. Joonmyun chuckled softly at the curse. "Sorry," the younger whispered when he realized what he'd said.

"Don't worry about it. It's just us right now and you're not a prince yet."

"Oh god, does that mean I'm going to have to learn how to stop cursing?" Jongdae whined, but Joonmyun could hear the faint traces of teasing in his tone.

"Most likely," Joonmyun replied with a chuckle.

A knock on the door interrupted their quiet moment and Joonmyun loosened his hold on Jongdae. "Come in."

"Your Highness, they've arrived. Heechul and Taeyeon are already in the conference room," Minseok said.

"We'll be on our way." Jongdae perked up in his embrace and looked back and forth from Joonmyun to Minseok.

"My dads are okay?"

"It would seem so, Sir Jongdae."

Jongdae breathed a heavy sigh of relief and smiled at Joonmyun. "Let's go then," he said, tangling his fingers in Joonmyun's and leading him out of the sitting room.

When they got there, they found Eunhyuk and Donghae seated on the chairs, dirty and ragged, but otherwise fine. A cloaked man sat with them, the dark cloth concealing his whole body and face. Heechul and Taeyeon stood to the side, staring him down.

"He wanted to talk you, Joonmyun," Eunhyuk said with a heavy sigh. He reached for the glass of water provided and finished it all. Donghae leaned back on one of the chairs beside Eunhyuk, munching on the snacks offered.

Joonmyun sent Heechul and Taeyeon questioning glances, but they didn't have much to say. Taeyeon gestured for Joonmyun to go on with it.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Joonmyun asked.

The man lifted his hands and slowly pulled down the hood of his cloak. Heechul, Taeyeon and even Jongdae took a step back at the sight of the cloaked man's face.

"Sungmin, Royal Advisor to Alpha King Kyuhyun," Joonmyun could hear himself say over the sound of his loudly beating heart. "You were the friend they needed to rescue?"

"Cousin actually," Sungmin replied, flashing Joonmyun a guilty smile, but Joonmyun could barely hear him. All he could hear were the keys inside his head unlocking the quiet thought at the back of his mind that _Sungmin_ was the omega they rescued, the omega who worked as Alpha King Kyuhyun's Advisor. "I deeply apologize if my coming here is of a great inconvenience. I know that there are possible consequences to my being here, but I needed to get out of Venocia. As my cousin Eunhyuk might have mentioned, I'm pregnant."

"You're pregnant with the king's child, aren't you?" Joonmyun found himself asking, cursing his brain for getting ahead of him again. Sungmin turned his eyes downcast and wrapped his arms around his stomach. His smile looked sad and broken.

"Yes, yes I am. And that's exactly why I needed to go. It wouldn't be safe for me to be in Venocia, pregnant with the king's child and an omega. People there already hate me enough as it is. They'd kill my child as soon as it's born and I can't—I can't have that."

Joonmyun took a deep breath and held it in. He'd seen the way Kyuhyun looked at Sungmin, had seen the way he kept him close. There was no way Kyuhyun would let Sungmin go this easily.

"I understand, but you do know there's a possibility that Alpha King Kyuhyun will come after you."

Sungmin closed his eyes. "I know he will. I've grown up with Kyuhyun all my life. I know him enough that he will bend heaven and earth to find me and that's why, that's why I need your help. It's famous in Venocia—of your hiding away certain omegas, giving them new identities, giving them second chances at a new life and I need that. I just need new papers for myself and my child and then I will leave Sedocia as well."

"What?" Eunhyuk shouted, standing up from his seat. "Sungmin, I didn't risk my life to save you from that bastard only for you to leave Sedocia."

"You don't understand, Eunhyuk! Kyuhyun will find me. He'll hunt every kingdom trying to look for me. It's best if I just lay low somewhere on the outskirts of every kingdom and then I'll come back. I swear."

Heechul cleared his throat. "I don't mean to interrupt your family's conversation, but I honestly don't think it'd be safe for you to be alone in the wild. Especially when you're pregnant. It'd be better if you stayed here at least until you can give birth, and then we can decide what to do.

"I don't know. Kyuhyun is a very impulsive and powerful man, if he finds out that I'm here, bad things could happen." Sungmin bit his lip and avoided his eyes.

Joonmyun looked around at all the confused faces in the room and knew that it would be his decision to make. He took a deep breath. "We'll give you the necessary papers to help you change your identity as well as any background information you may need. It will take about a week to finish processing, but I hope you decide to stay at least until your baby is born. Unnecessary stress will only cause you complications during childbirth and you certainly cannot give birth alone in the forest."

"Thank you. Thank you so much. If there's anything I can do, anything at all—" Sungmin paused and then gasped. "I know. I've got it. You've been trying to get Kyuhyun to sign the peace treaty. I can help you with that. I know a lot of Venocia's weaknesses and I'm willing to tell you all of them in exchange for everything you're doing for me." He wiped the stray tears that he shed and smiled at Joonmyun, the first real smile he'd seen on Sungmin since he first laid his eyes on him.

"Thank you. That is more than enough. Now, please, seeing as it's quite late, it would be best if you went home with Eunhyuk's family. We'll still need some time to take care of your living arrangement, but in less than a month we can probably fix you with your own house." Joonmyun looked in Heechul's direction and smiled when Heechul nodded.

Sungmin joined Eunhyuk’s family and walked out of the room. Jongdae lingered for a few minutes, standing by Joonmyun’s side.

"Well, I wasn't expecting that," Jongdae said.

"I don't think any of us really were."

"Are you okay?" Jongdae asked, cupping Joonmyun’s cheeks and eyeing the other worriedly. Joonmyun just smiled at him, leaning into the touch.

"I will be."

Jongdae stared him down for a second before giving him a rueful smile. "Okay. Good night then Joonmyun." He kissed him on the forehead, bringing his head down slightly to reach, before walking out of his room.

When Joonmyun was sure Jongdae was gone, he sat back on the chair Sungmin vacated, slumped down and buried his head in his hands.

There was no doubt in his mind now; Alpha King Kyuhyun would declare war on Sedocia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Our aegi gom_ \- Our baby bear  
>  That's the fetus name of the baby haha


	11. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~ Again, I'm sorry but unbeta-ed huhu ~~

"Here are your papers," Heechul said, sliding the folder towards Sungmin. Now that he'd been in Sedocia for more than a week, he'd thrown away the dark cloaks and dressed in clothes that Eunhyuk and Donghae had gotten for him. "Everything you need is inside: passport, birth certificate, all the documents you could possibly need with your new identity."

Sungmin accepted the folder and opened it. "Choi Minjoon," he read aloud.

"We thought that maybe you'd like to have a part of your old self with you," Heechul said with a smile.

"Thank you," Sungmin said, sincerely.

"You're welcome, Mr. Choi."

"As for your housing," Joonmyun started. "We originally wanted to set you up in an apartment complex in a different community a bit farther from Eunhyuk and Donghae's neighborhood. We thought that, maybe, it would help conceal you from Alpha King Kyuhyun, but the Lees have requested you stay as close to them as possible until you give birth."

Sungmin gave them a sad smile and sighed. "I understand. I've already made up my mind to go away as soon as my baby is born so I don't think complying to their request will be so bad."

"Very well then, we've chosen a couple of places you could stay in for the meantime." Heechul handed Sungmin some pamphlets and paper with a list of names and numbers. "Everything you need to know will be in those pamphlets.

"Eunhyuk specifically requested that you get to check out all the apartments yourself, so we'll give you the option of dropping by whenever you're free. If you tell the realtor your new name, someone will accommodate you," Joonmyun added. "As for a job and support, the royal family has agreed to take care of you until your baby is born as thanks for your willingness to cooperate with us in getting Venocia to sign the treaty."

"I'll do my best, but I should warn you that Kyuhyun is a stubborn man. If he says he's only going to sign the treaty when he deems you in love with your boyfriend, then it will be very hard to dissuade him." Sungmin sighed. "I can give you very incriminating information against the royal family, but I'm not sure it will be enough."

Joonmyun closed his eyes and nodded. "That will be fine." He gave Sungmin a sympathetic smile. "I had already thought that maybe that was the case, but if he never deems me in love with Jongdae, it would be best to be prepared."

"Are you?" Sungmin asked. "In love with Jongdae, I mean?"

Joonmyun opened his mouth to say yes, he really did, but in that split second of hesitation, he wondered, _'What exactly do I feel for Jongdae?'_

"Yes." But it was too late. The look Sungmin gave him was nothing short of scrutinizing before turning back to his usual soft gaze.

"I see," was all he said. "Well then, where would you like me to begin?"

Heechul clapped his hands and smirked at Sungmin. "Tell us everything and don't leave anything out."

It took several meetings with Sungmin to finish relaying everything he knew that could be used against the Venocian Royal Family. Joonmyun found out that Sungmin had basically been working as Kyuhyun's personal slave for most of his life.

"That's how I found out many of his family's secrets," Sungmin had said with a sad smile. "Although Kyuhyun himself has nothing to do with them, his family members still involve themselves with the underground market as much as they possibly can. I often help him conceal it from public eye and keep track of them in case something needs to be taken care of."

"Thank you for telling us these things," Heechul said. "It really might help us convince them to sign the treaty. If not, then at least, maybe, we can begin talking with Donocia's side," Heechul said. After he gathered his things, Heechul bid them goodbye and left.

"Thank you once again for everything you've done for me, Your Highness," Sungmin said then.

"You're welcome. I've heard from Jongdae that you've moved into an apartment. Do you find everything to be in order?"

"Yes, it's more than enough, Your Highness." Sungmin bowed his head low.

"I'm glad." Sungmin just nodded slightly before turning his gaze to his hands. "Is there anything else you'd like to say?" Joonmyun asked when it seemed that Sungmin wasn't going to leave yet.

Sungmin looked up, but the words never left his lips. Instead, he shook his head and gave Joonmyun a small smile. "I'll be on my way then."

"Please take care going back," Joonmyun bid. He instructed Minseok to have Sungmin's escort ready and watched the omega leave.

He didn't have much time to ponder on things that Sungmin could've said as there were more pressing matters to attend to. Joonmyun sat back on the chair and said, "Minseok, have we booked the restaurant?"

"Yes, Your Highness, everything is in order for Sir Jongdae's birthday."

Joonmyun took a deep breath. "Thank you. What about the present?"

"Ordered and paid for. Their invoice says it'll arrive within the week."

Joonmyun slumped back on his chair and sighed. "I can't believe that even with all these things, Heechul expects me to plan a birthday date for Jongdae."

"In his defense, a true and loving boyfriend will never forget their partner's birthday. And you did end up managing to plan something special enough."

"Do you think it's enough? Jongdae has helped me with so much, and he's taken me on such creative and wonderful dates, I'm not sure it will mean the same."

Minseok hummed for a second, thinking, eyes ticking off the checklist on Joonmyun's 'Birthday Date Plans'. "I definitely think Jongdae will appreciate all the hard work you put into this date, especially with all the things you're taking care of in between."

"Minseok, as a friend, what do you really think?"

At the term friend, Minseok's smile widened and he let out a soft chortle. "Everything looks fine, Joonmyun. It's very you, I suppose, but romantic all the same. I'm sure he'll like it, but more than that, I'm sure he'll love your present."

Joonmyun took a deep breath and let those words comfort him. "All right, now all I have to do is tell Jongdae to clear his plans on the weekend of his birthday."

"Good luck, Joonmyun."

"Thank you, Minseok."

 

* * *

 

Joonmyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them, he found Jongdae's present in his hands, neatly wrapped in glossy blue paper with a silver ribbon tied around it.

"Thank you again, Minseok," Joonmyun said.

"You're welcome, Your Highness. Now, please go ring the doorbell so we won't be late for your appointment."

"Yes, of course." After gingerly returning the gift back to Minseok, Joonmyun exited the car and walked up the path leading to Jongdae's door. He'd just rung the bell when Jongdae opened the door, popping out in a sleek dark suit that emphasized all the lines on his body. Joonmyun swallowed thickly.

Jongdae smiled at him, cocking his head to the side. He looked almost ethereal bathed under the moonlight. It didn't help that his black coat made his skin stand out even more, the white dress shirt he'd paired it with almost invisible. He couldn't hide the way his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Jongdae, his hair tousled just slightly and his ensemble missing a tie.

"Oh, good, you're not wearing a tie either," Jongdae said in lieu of a greeting. "I was really worried not wearing a tie would ban us from the restaurant, especially after you'd taken the time to remind me to wear something formal."

Joonmyun just smiled, unable to talk, to tell Jongdae that he looked good—no, more than good, he looked _handsome_.

"You look great by the way," Jongdae whispered, coming closer to rest his hand on Joonmyun's chest, fingers playing with the opened collars of his black dress shirt. They brushed against his exposed skin lightly, so softly that Joonmyun thought it might've been air. Jongdae leaned closer and kissed him lightly by the cheek. He could hear the omega take two long deep breaths, scenting him before pulling away. "You smell really nice too, like the ocean."

"Thank you. You smell wonderful as well," he complimented. It wasn't a lie. Jongdae did smell wonderful—heavenly even. When he leaned in, Joonmyun thought he was about to take a bite out of the sweetest chocolate he'd ever had. Now that they stood centimeters apart, the scent became muted but surrounded them like a cloud. It was almost dizzying.

"Did you wear cologne?" Jongdae asked, looping their arms together and walking them down towards the car. "Because this is the first time this week that a perfume hasn't made me sick." He made a face and shuddered, almost as if he'd relived those moments.

"No, I didn’t. I don't usually put on cologne, but more than that are you all right? I realized that you did look a little pale, but I thought that might've been from the light of the moon. Do you want to cancel the reservations?"

"Woah there, Your Highness." Jongdae cozied to Joonmyun's side. "I'm fine. It'd be a waste not to go through with the date. I've been looking forward to it too actually, kinda the highlight of my week."

"If you say so," Joonmyun said, opening the door for Jongdae.

Jongdae stuck to his side all throughout the ride, eyes closed and body lax. Every few minutes he would take a deep breath and sigh. It worried Joonmyun a little, especially now that he could properly see the dark circles under his eyes.

"Are you sure you're all right, Jongdae?"

Jongdae moaned, sound half-asleep. "Yeah, this is the best I've been all week to be honest."

Joonmyun looked down at him worriedly but Jongdae only had a smile on his face, snuggling closer to him. Jongdae had always been clingy, but he wondered now if Jongdae had missed him in the days they had not seen each other. He blushed at the thought, forced to face forward, afraid that Jongdae would see.

Joonmyun shook Jongdae awake as gently as he could when they arrived at their destination. Jongdae blinked his eyes open and smiled at Joonmyun.

"We're here?"

"Yes, we are. Come?" Joonmyun offered his hand, which Jongdae gladly took and showed him the restaurant they were dining in tonight. Written in elegant script, the restaurant's name glimmered in gold against the black sign it was printed on. _Iridescence._

Low lights lit up from the inside, giving them a glimpse of the interior of the restaurant.

"Is the place empty?" Jongdae asked when they stepped inside. He looked from left to right, but found no one around. The floor was mostly cleared of tables and chairs, leaving space for the middle area to be free and open, and a table stood directly in the center of it all.

"I actually had it cleared out for the night," Joonmyun said with a smile. "Since the first date didn't work out so well, I hoped that maybe tonight, we could make it happen."

Jongdae's smile grew, lips curling at the corners as he leaned in close to whisper in his ear, "Thank you."

"Good evening, Your Highness, Sir Jongdae," a man with a small frame greeted. "My name is Ryeowook and I'll be your server for tonight. May I escort you to your table?" Ryeowook led them to the table in the center of the restaurant and handed them the menu once they sat.

"What will you be having tonight?"

Joonmyun glanced at Jongdae to make sure he was checking the menu before browsing the list himself.

"I'll have the Chicken Alfredo and some water, please."

"I'll have the Steak and Potatoes, medium rare," Joonmyun said. "Do you want some wine?" he asked Jongdae. Jongdae scrunched his nose at the mention of the word and shook his head. "Then I'll just have water as well."

"You don't have to do that for me," Jongdae said. "If you want to drink wine, you can order some for yourself. I'm sure it will go great with your steak."

"It's fine. I'm not feeling wine tonight either."

"Will that be all?" Ryeowook interrupted.

"Yes, that will be all."

"Alright. We'll have your order ready in a few minutes. I'll serve your drinks first." Ryeowook left to go back to the kitchen, leaving Jongdae and Joonmyun alone. Faint classical music played in the background, painting their night in a soft ambiance.

"This is really wonderful," Jongdae said, looking around. "I'm glad you took me here." He reached out a hand and took Joonmyun's in his. "Thank you."

"There's more," Joonmyun said. "I actually have a present for you." He looked behind him and found Minseok coming over to hand him the box. _Thank you_ , he mouthed before smiling up at Jongdae. "For you."

Jongdae's eyes widened, hands coming up to reach for the gift in the middle of their table. "What's this?"

"Open it."

"Okay," Jongdae said, pulling it to his side. Joonmyun watched in amusement as Jongdae tore through the ribbon and the wrapper, the complete opposite of him when it came to opening presents. "Wow," Jongdae breathed when he saw the black box. He slowly lifted the lid and gasped at the sight in front of him.

"I wasn't sure what to get you, but I hope you like it." Joonmyun gave Jongdae an unsure smile, but Jongdae was too busy ogling what was in the box.

"Joonmyun," Jongdae said, voice soft and awed. He took the items out of the box, an engraved notebook and pen, personalized from an expensive shop that worked closely with the royal family. "This is beautiful, I love them." He stared down at the notebook, his name embossed in gold paint on genuine leather. He ran his fingers over the words and then at the small mic drawn attached to his name.

"I honestly just wanted to get you the pen," Joonmyun found himself say. He peered at the thin sleek cylinder on the table, black and gold encasing the dark ink inside. Jongdae turned his attention to the pen where the same lettering had been engraved, including the small mic. "It was something my family had done, giving us a pen when we came of age to welcome us to the family." Joonmyun reached into his coat pocket to take out the same looking pen. "I keep mine with me at all times, but I've long since stopped using it." He showed it to Jongdae, flashing his name engraved on the side along with the family crest.

"It's beautiful, Joonmyun," Jongdae said again, putting them back in the box and setting them aside. "I especially love the meaning."

Joonmyun flushed. "I'm sorry I couldn't get you one with the family crest, but until we're married, I had to think of something else."

Jongdae just chuckled. "No, this is fine. It's even better, because it's a design that's just mine." Jongdae stood up from his chair, "Come here," he'd said and Joonmyun met him halfway. "Thank you," Jongdae whispered when they pulled apart. "I can't say that was the best birthday present ever, but that's definitely at the top of the list."

Joonmyun found himself laughing at that. "What's the first on the list then?"

Jongdae turned to look at the box, smile soft and eyes looking far away. "When my dads adopted me on my seventh birthday."

"That definitely deserves first place."

Before they could say any more, Ryeowook appeared with their orders. "Chicken Alfredo for Sir Jongdae and Steak and Potatoes for His Highness." Once Ryeowook set down the dishes before them, Jongdae made a face and quickly covered his nose.

"I'm sorry, but could you please take this back?" Jongdae said, voice sounding disgusted. "What's wrong, Sir Jongdae?" Ryeowook asked, quickly taking the plate back.

"I'm so sorry, but the stench is making me nauseous." Jongdae turned away from the food, closed his eyes and tried to breathe the air only in his hand.

"Right away." Ryeowook left and Joonmyun eyed Jongdae worried.

"What's wrong? Are you sick?"

Jongdae quickly shook his head, slowly pulling his hand away from his nose. "No, I'm fine, it's just that certain food make me nauseous lately."

"Oh," Joonmyun asked, and then he took a quick sniff of his steak. "Does my steak do the same? Should we order something else?"

"I think your steak is fine, but I think I should settle for something that doesn't smell like anything," Jongdae said with a sigh.

When Ryeowook came back, they asked for something that didn't have a strong smell. Jongdae frowned when all he could recommend was soup and salad, but with such a limited option, Jongdae decided to get both.

"Once again, we're so sorry for the inconvenience and we'll be right out with your order," Ryeowook apologized before going.

Jongdae grumbled for a few seconds. "I've been eating soup all week and I'm not even sick," he said.

"Are you sure?" Joonmyun asked.

"I swear I feel fine. I just, certain scents make me nauseous."

"Have you gone to the doctor? If you've been feeling nauseous, maybe it's best to get yourself checked out."

Jongdae sighed. "I haven't had the time, but I should probably do it tomorrow."

"Yes, please do have it done tomorrow. You can go to Doctor Kim's clinic and since he knows you, he'll accommodate you even if you don't have an appointment."

"Thanks. Now, let's stop talking about this. It's ruining my celebration." Jongdae pouted.

"Yes, you're right. Do you want a bite out of my steak then?" Joonmyun asked. He felt awkward being the only one with food.

"Yes, please, just a bite." Jongdae leaned close and opened his mouth. Joonmyun smiled at the sight, sticking out his fork for Jongdae. "This is good," Jongdae said, moaning before swallowing. "Maybe I should've gone with the steak."

"Do you want to change orders?"

"Nah, you can just keep feeding me your share." Jongdae winked and opened his mouth for Joonmyun to feed him more. Joonmyun complied, alternately feeding himself and Jongdae.

Even when Jongdae's food arrived, Joonmyun would occasionally fork some steak and potatoes to feed Jongdae. Jongdae finished all his food, whining about how it wouldn't be enough without a lot of meat. He thanked Joonmyun a couple of times for feeding him the steak, saying that it would be the only thing that would fill his stomach.

When they finished their meals, Joonmyun turned to Ryeowook, "Can you please take the cake out?"

"Yes, Your Highness, would there be anything else?"

"I had a cake made, but if you want something else for dessert, you can ask them for it," Joonmyun encouraged.

Jongdae shook his head. "It's fine. I can't wait to have cake."

"One birthday cake coming right up," Ryeowook said before making his way back to the kitchen.

"I've been waiting for cake all week," Jongdae said with a wistful sigh. "My colleagues apparently didn't have enough time to get me cake on my birthday, but they did buy me coffee and ice cream, so I guess that's fine."

"I hope you like the cake," Joonmyun said. "Although, I'll be the first to admit that I asked both your parents and Chanyeol for the kind that you wanted."

"No way," Jongdae said with a gasp. "You got me my favorite Triple Chocolate Supreme?"

"Yes, I did." Just as Joonmyun said it, Ryeowook came out of the kitchen holding in his hand a cake layered in chocolate.

Jongdae grinned widely at the sight. Ryeowook laid the cake down in the middle, stuck a candle somewhere it won't disrupt the writing on the cake and lit the candle.

"Happy birthday, Jongdae," Joonmyun whispered, turning to watch the smile on Jongdae's face grow. The younger leaned in, closed his eyes—probably to make a wish—before wrinkling his nose. He took a small sniff before turning away from the cake, gagging back on his chair.

"Oh god," Jongdae whispered, covering his mouth and getting up from his seat. "Excuse me, but where's your restroom?" Ryeowook, looked surprised but quickly pointed to the hall by the kitchen. Jongdae nodded in thanks before gagging once more.

"Jongdae?" Joonmyun watched Jongdae stumble his way to the restroom and followed after. Before he could even come inside, Jongdae slammed the door in his face. Joonmyun frowned and knocked against the door. His frown deepened when he heard even more gagging noises. He walked out of the hall and took a deep breath. Minseok was in front of him in seconds.

"Call Doctor Kim, we're taking Jongdae to his clinic. Now." Joonmyun didn't even wait for Minseok's affirmation before going back to the bathroom door, trying to get Jongdae—or anyone really—to open it.

Jongdae finally opened the door a few minutes later, hands still wet and mouth glistening. Joonmyun could smell the stench of vomit and soap tainting the scent of his sweetness. "Sorry," Jongdae said weakly.

"Don't worry. We're going to the doctor now if that's alright with you. I'd rather not wait another day to find out what's wrong."

"Okay." Jongdae sighed and allowed Joonmyun to lead him out of the restaurant. After instructing for the cake to be wrapped, Minseok took their things back to the car, making sure to keep them out of Jongdae's way.

Joonmyun clenched his fist in worry, wrapping an arm around Jongdae's shoulder and pulling him closer.

"How many times to do I have to say I'm fine before you relax?" Jongdae said, trying to shrug off Joonmyun's arm.

"Until the doctor says you're fine." Jongdae sighed and left Joonmyun's arm on his shoulder. His hand reached out to Joonmyun's clenched fist, uncurling them so he could twine their fingers.

"Stop worrying," he whispered. "I'm sure it's nothing serious."

"I really hope so," was all Joonmyun said. They stayed quiet until they reached Yesung's clinic, still open, but barely bustling with people.

"We're so sorry if we disturbed you," Jongdae said, smiling apologetically at the doctor. Yesung just waved their apologies away.

"It's fine. For the Royal Family, I'm always on call. Why don't we step inside my office." He led the way to his office and sat both Joonmyun and Jongdae down.

"What seems to be the problem?"

"I've been feeling nauseous a lot lately," Jongdae said. "Certain scents have been making me vomit but I don't have a fever. Other than food that make me throw up, I've been eating well."

Yesung nodded. "I see. How do you feel after you've thrown up, feverish?"

Jongdae shook his head. "I usually feel fine after and I can return to work like normal as long as I don't smell something off again."

"When did this begin?"

"About a week or two ago? I started waking up feeling like throwing up but then it would go away." Joonmyun frowned at how long Jongdae pushed off seeing a doctor. Jongdae just shrugged.

"Have you had your heat recently?" Both Joonmyun and Jongdae stiffened in their seat. Joonmyun flushed lightly, but Jongdae cleared his throat to answer the question.

"I usually take suppressants so I didn't get my heat this month, but I did have my heat two months ago."

"Why did you miss out on your suppressants?"

"It was a bit of a busy time. Alpha King Kyuhyun came by and I had to appear in a lot of events, so I forgot to take my pill for the month."

"I see, I see. Would you mind if we conduct a couple of tests so we can diagnose the problem?" Yesung asked.

"No, not really."

"When can we get the results?"

"It shouldn't take longer than a few minutes," Yesung said, going around his office and getting a syringe. After setting Jongdae up on a chair, Yesung said, "This is probably going to hurt." Jongdae closed his eyes and Joonmyun stood beside him, holding his free hand.

Once Yesung filled the vial, he nursed the small wound on Jongdae's arm and excused himself.

"Do you have any idea what it might be?" Jongdae asked.

"Until we get the results of your exam, I can’t say for sure what it is. I’m sorry."

Jongdae sighed and leaned his head against Joonmyun. Joonmyun watched as Jongdae yawned and he looked at the watch on his wrist, frowning when he saw how late it was. He hoped Yesung would come back soon so they could finally get home.

Yesung appeared after almost ten minutes of waiting, papers in his hands and smile wide. "I got your results right here," he said. "Congratulations, you're pregnant!"

It took a second to register. At first they were just words, coming in and out, but before they could leave the vicinity of Joonmyun's brain, they rang bells in his head and Joonmyun could see it in his head, bright neon lights screaming, _pregnant, baby, family, your child_. The smile was on his face before he could really help it, but when he turned to Jongdae, his eyes filled with fear, the smile fell away.

Yesung seemed to have noticed the tense air between them and cleared his throat to get their attention. "If His Highness helped you with your heat two months ago, it would fit the timeline as you're around eight weeks pregnant." He handed them the test and explained, but Joonmyun could barely hear what he was saying because at that moment, it felt like he knew what Jongdae was feeling and all of a sudden he shared the same worries.

"I suggest setting up your prenatal visits as soon as possible. We'll need to check out how the baby is doing so if you don’t mind, I’d like to do an ultrasound." Yesung looked like he wanted to say more, but kept his mouth shut. "There’s a medical gown in the closet over there. I’ll leave you to get ready."

When Yesung left, Jongdae grabbed for Joonmyun's arm, hands tight around the limb. "Did he say I was pregnant?" Jongdae whispered.

Joonmyun swallowed. "Yes."

"Shit," Jongdae whispered, curling into himself and covering his mouth with a hand. "What have we done?" he said, turning to face Joonmyun. "What are we going to do? This is going to change everything," Jongdae whispered. "The plan, this is gonna affect our plan, my life, forever. Joonmyun, this baby, if I have this baby, it's going to be permanent."

Joonmyun swallowed down the small stab in his heart at Jongdae's words and sat down beside the younger. "We should—" he took a deep breath and tried to clear his thoughts to make a coherent statement. "We should call Heechul and see what he says."

Jongdae bit his lip and waited for Joonmyun to make the call. It was nearly midnight now, but the call went through after three rings. Joonmyun put Heechul on loudspeaker.

"Yes, Your Highness?" Heechul said in that tone laced with irritation. Joonmyun was too thrown off by the big news to care about Heechul's feelings.

"Jongdae's pregnant."

"What?"

"Jongdae, he's pregnant."

"Really?" he said, sounding amused. There was soft rustling from his side of the line and some muttering in a foreign language. "Well, that was sooner than expected, but congratulations."

"What do we do?" Joonmyun asked when Heechul offered no real answer to the problem.

"What do you mean?"

"Clearly there's something that needs to be done? I mean, this isn't part of the plan, it could ruin everything."

Heechul hummed. "I don't really see how you impregnating your omega is a problem. Unless, you plan on aborting your baby which I advise you now is not a good idea. I think it's obvious that you should keep it. You having a baby with Jongdae is good for us actually."

"You want us... to keep the baby?" Jongdae asked, voice hesitant and scared.

"Yes?" Heechul replied. "What's so wrong with that? It's a baby. You guys were ready to get married for the peace treaty, that also meant having a baby in the not-so-far future. Just 'cause the baby came earlier doesn't mean it's much cause for worry."

"Does this mean we should have the wedding earlier?" Joonmyun found himself asking, one of the many questions running through his head. He was surprised when he found a voice for it.

"Maybe, but we'll have to see. It's not really that important now that you're having a baby, but it might be good to have you married before Jongdae gives birth. We'll talk about it on the next meeting, and make sure you're there too, Jongdae. Good night, Your Highness." Heechul cut off the call before Joonmyun could ask any more questions.

"So that's it?"

"I'm not sure," Joonmyun replied. Jongdae closed his eyes and took a shaky breath. Joonmyun reached out for his hand and wrapped his arm around the younger’s shoulders.

"I'm scared," Jongdae admitted, clutching Joonmyun's dress shirt.

Joonmyun felt the ache in his heart again, but he ignored it in favor of pulling Jongdae closer.

"Everything's going to be fine, I promise." But they both didn't believe it.


	12. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~ I guess... it's safe to assume that my next few chapters will continue to be unbeta-ed... just like this one ~~

Joonmyun sat on his bed staring at the picture in his hand. It held the image of a small, almost indecipherable, blob but Joonmyun could see it. He could see the tiny baby it was going to be. It felt both real and unreal to him. In that picture was his— _their_ child. His and Jongdae’s child.

_What do I do now?_ he asked himself. Should he marry Jongdae? Did Jongdae even want to be married? Once he thought about Jongdae, all he could see was the panic in his eyes and how he whispered that he was scared. Joonmyun put the picture down and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

Jongdae had been so shaken that he barely paid attention to the ultrasound. He nodded his head but his eyes focused on nothing, not even on Joonmyun. Joonmyun and Minseok ended up taking care of everything, from cleaning up to making all the appointments. Even when they told him of his schedule, Jongdae looked so shaken, like someone had taken the very ground he was standing on. Minseok had to write everything down so Jongdae would have a copy in case he forgot. Joonmyun made sure to put it down in his own calendar to keep track.

It was the sight of Jongdae that made it hard to think about what to do next. Jongdae looked like he would run away any second if Joonmyun pushed him to go through with the pregnancy, but they both couldn't deny how beneficial it would be to their arrangement.

Joonmyun leaned back on his headboard and sighed. His head throbbed with so many thoughts and sleep creeping up on him. Without even really thinking about it, he reached for the phone that would direct him to Minseok's line.

"What? Joonmyun? Why are you calling at this hour?" The clock on Joonmyun's bedside flashed 02:16AM.

"I'm sorry, but I need you to call the council for an emergency meeting tomorrow." Joonmyun took a deep breath and waited for Minseok's reply.

"I got it, I'll call them as early as possible tomorrow. Now, please, go to sleep and stop thinking about anything else for the night."

"I will. Thank you, Minseok."

Minseok cut the call instead of replying. Joonmyun couldn't really blame him. He laid back down on the bed and closed his eyes.

With his thoughts finally quiet for a second, he could no longer deny the part of him that was _excited_ by the thought of Jongdae carrying his baby. He thought about Jongdae's stomach growing and showing, the tiny bundle of joy they would have once he gave birth, a life so small but so beautiful.

He fell asleep with a smile on his lips, dreams painting a picture of a happy family.

 

* * *

 

The council gathered in the afternoon, circled around the table and murmuring to themselves. Jongin sat to his left and Minseok to his right, the rest of the seats were occupied by high government officials and wise elders that have been helping run the kingdom.

"You must all be wondering why I gathered you here today," Joonmyun began, drawing their attention to him. "Jongdae is pregnant."

"Congratulations, hyung!" Jongin said, smile wide and looking about one second away from hugging the king. Joonmyun flashed him a quick smile and Jongin stayed seated. The rest of the council congratulated Joonmyun as well, even going so far as to applaud him.

"We weren't expecting you to conceive so soon, but congratulations, Your Highness. We look forward to your future heir," his Prime Minister, Kibum, said, flashing him a sincere smile. Joonmyun did his best to return the well wishes, but he could tell that his smile wasn't up to par as it should be.

"What seems to be the problem, Your Highness?" An elder, Sooman, asked. Joonmyun tried not to wince at the elder's observation. He was always known for being sharp.

Joonmyun took a deep breath. "What should we do?" he asked before he could even think about what to say.

"We don't understand, Your Highness. What's wrong?" someone asked, Joonmyun wasn't sure who. He couldn't look past the glass of water on the table, his mind loud with thoughts and worries.

"Isn't this supposed to be wonderful news?" Someone else asked.

Joonmyun took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Should I marry him sooner than what was planned?"

It was Seokwon, his father's old advisor turned elder, that spoke up. "At this point, it really doesn't matter when you have your wedding as your child will be all you need to establish your relationship."

"I do think it will still be best for His Highness to marry Jongdae before the birth of the child," Minseok added in. Joonmyun nodded, but somehow none of the answers felt right. He knew that marrying Jongdae was probably the only best decision, but he needed a new option, something—anything that might benefit Jongdae.

"What's really going on, hyung? What are you not telling us?"

Joonmyun reached for his water and took a big gulp. "I don't think Jongdae was expecting to be pregnant so soon. He seemed pretty shaken when he found out and he looked so scared when Heechul told us that it just meant we should get married sooner."

Before anyone else could speak or comment, the line to the council room rang, alerting everyone in the room. No one was to call the line unless it was important and Joonmyun stiffened in his seat because in all the years he'd sat in the council room, this was the first time it had ever rung. It was Minseok who stood up and answered the call. Minseok quickly tore away from the phone and turned on the screen in front of them, displaying the news channel.

"We're currently live in Alpha King Kyuhyun's castle where he has just waged war against Sedocia," the man on the screen said. The camera changed focus to Kyuhyun standing on the pulpit, face pale and eyes wide and angry.

"The kingdom of Sedocia has kidnapped my advisor and taken him to use against me so I can sign their treaty. I will do everything in my power to get my advisor back, and if it means tearing down the walls of Sedocia, then I will!"

People cheered and Joonmyun, Joonmyun turned to Minseok. "Call Minho! Alert the ERU board members and call the Lees, I need Sungmin here, now!"

Minseok nodded and did as he was told. Council members murmured among themselves and asked Joonmyun all kinds of questions.

"What's going on?"

"What is the Venocian Alpha King talking about?

"You kidnapped his advisor?"

Joonmyun sat back on his chair and clenched his fists under the table. "We didn't kidnap him; he came to us. He had his cousin extract him from Venocia. He asked for our help because he's a pregnant male omega."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Kibum asked.

"I didn't think I had to. I didn't even know it was him until they brought him here. His cousin just said that there was a pregnant male omega they needed to rescue back in Venocia." Joonmyun unfurled his fingers from his fist and tried to think about the situation with a clear mind.

"Now now," Sooman said. "What is done, is done. It will not do well for us to dwell on the past and act as if we can change them."

"We must focus now on finding a solution that does not involve a war," Seokwon finished.

"You said he was pregnant," Jongin said. "Is it Alpha King Kyuhyun's child?"

"Yes, it is."

Several of the officials gasped but some of the elders and Jongin hummed. Before any of them could share their thoughts, Minseok came back.

"They're on their way, Your Highness. I think it would be best if we moved this to the biggest conference room."

Joonmyun nodded and got up from his seat. Most of the officials talked to themselves while they walked. Jongin stood beside him then and whispered. "Hyung, about your baby." Joonmyun was almost taken aback. He'd almost forgotten why they were all gathered in the first place.

"Yes?"

"I think you should ask yourself what you want to do about it first," Jongin whispered. "And then you can ask Jongdae what he wants to do. Ultimately, what matters is what you two want to do."

Joonmyun wanted to say that no, it didn't matter what they wanted, because their relationship, the very foundation of it was for the people, not for them, not really. He pursed his lips, closed his eyes and said, "I see. Thank you."

When they got there, Minho and Siwon were already seated, eyes trained on the screen where the news channel was playing. "Your Highness," they both greeted once Joonmyun and the rest of the council stepped in. Some of them sat down while the others stood and waited for anything important. Minute by minute, more and more members of the ERU came by, even Jongshin came, who only dropped by to help.

The Lees came last, unsure of what was going on. They hadn't had the opportunity to see the news, but now that they were in the room, they could see and hear the headlines for themselves. Sungmin stood frozen by the door when he caught sight of the screen, Kyuhyun standing and making statements.

"Oh no," Sungmin said, stepping back and bumping back to Minseok.

"Everyone, please take a seat," Joonmyun said, gesturing to all the unoccupied chairs. "You may already know why I gathered you here today, but in case it isn't clear, it seems that Alpha King Kyuhyun has accused us of kidnapping his advisor and has waged war against the kingdom."

"I'm so so sorry," Sungmin began to say, standing up from his seat. "I know I shouldn't have stayed. I'll just—I should go and leave Sedocia, I think that will be the only way to ensure the safety of the kingdom. I'm so sorry," he kept muttering to himself, his hands shaking as he tried to think about what to do. "This is all my fault, even the treaty, everything is my fault."

"Sungmin, please, calm down and take a seat," Joonmyun instructed. He turned to Eunhyuk. "Please calm him down."

"You said even the treaty was your fault; what do you mean?" Jongshin asked.

Sungmin shook his head and took a deep breath. Donghae who was by his side offered him some water. He took a large gulp before turning to them with a sad, sarcastic smile. "The only reason Kyuhyun offered you the deal for the treaty was because he's in love with me." He shook his head. "He wanted someone to understand what kind of privilege they had to be able to love an omega when he himself couldn't even reveal our relationship to the public."

Jongshin looked taken aback, and for a minute, Joonmyun remembered that Jongshin didn't know about the arrangement.

"Are our lives a joke to you?" Jongdae practically shouted.

"It was a test!" Sungmin screamed. "That's what Kyuhyun does; he puts people to the test and if they don't pass, he ruins them. This is why I have to leave and never come back."

"Wait a minute, everyone just calm down and take a deep breath," Jongin said, standing and putting his hands up. "Now is not the time to put the blame on people or to panic. Now, Sungmin has given us important and credible information against Alpha King Kyuhyun, things we can use to our advantage."

"What?" Sungmin asked, voice low.

"You said the Venocian king is in love with you?" Sooman asked.

"Yes, he is."

"Are you in love with him?" Seokwon asked.

Sungmin looked around him and focused his gaze back to the table. "Yes, I am."

"Your Highness," Minseok interrupted. "The news." He pointed at the screen where the headlines read _Donocia backs Venocia's military attack against Sedocia_.

"Oh god," Sungmin said. "I think it really would be best for me to just leave the kingdom."

"Sungmin, right?" Jongshin said. "I think it doesn't matter where you go. Even if you left Sedocia, Alpha King Kyuhyun will have enough reason to attack us and then he’d just track you down from one kingdom to the next." Sungmin paled at the information.

"Besides," Jongin added. "You're pregnant. It wouldn't be safe for you out there and where could you possibly go? For now, it's best if you stayed here with us. We're very close to figuring out a plan, so just hang tight."

Joonmyun sent him a strained smile before turning to Minho. "I already knew this might happen so I've sent Minho to prepare for a possible invasion. Minho, how is everything coming along?"

"We might've been able to handle Venocia alone, but with Donocia's forces, we might find ourselves on the losing side. Not to mention, the evacuation for all our people will not be as safe as we hoped it to be."

"Should we call Alpha King Yixing?" Seohyun asked. "He's signed the treaty. He might be willing to help."

"We should at least try it then," Kibum said. Joonmyun nodded and told Minseok to conference call Yixing so he could be part of the meeting.

"Your Highness, I'm glad you called," Yixing said in lieu of a greeting.

"Alpha King Yixing," Joonmyun greeted. "It seems that you've heard the news."

Yixing frowned and nodded. "Indeed I have. I hope it wouldn't be too presumptive of me to suggest that you called in hopes of my assistance."

"Will you, Alpha King Yixing?" Joonmyun flashed him an unsure smile.

"Of course. Tell me what you need," Yixing said with a kind smile. He gestured for Lu Han to take note and Joonmyun motioned for Minho to talk. "Your Highness, I'm General Choi Minho, General of the Sedocian Royal Army." Minho bowed before continuing. "We've currently finalized our plans for evacuation, and have prepared a great deal for such an attack, but we're afraid with the forces of Donocia added onto Venocia's army, we may not have enough men to fight the war."

"I see," Yixing said. "I can send some of my men to help you fend off Venocia and Donocia's attack, but it will take more than a day for them to get there even if they travel the whole day."

"That is more than fine, Your Highness," Minho said. "It would take just about the same time for Venocia and Donocia to complete their own army. There is also the matter of our people not being safe in Sedocia's borders. We're unsure of the kind of attack that Venocia has planned and we're afraid that they may not agree to peace talks. If their army is as massive as we assume it to be, then we're not sure we can keep our citizens safe in our own land."

Yixing nodded. "We can help you transport some of your people into our kingdom. If Venocia focuses their attack around your borders, there is no doubt that your people will be safer with us."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Joonmyun said, from the bottom of his heart.

"There is only one more thing I'd like to know," Yixing said. "Is it true? What Alpha King Kyuhyun claims?"

"We did not kidnap his advisor, but he is currently in our borders," Joonmyun replied, gesturing for Sungmin who stood up, head bowed low. "He sent in a distress call to his cousin who lives in our kingdom and the ERU helped rescue him without knowing who he was."

"I know there must be bigger picture to all of this, but seeing as we do not have more time, I suggest that we act quickly. Shall we begin transportation of children and their mothers and fathers first?" Yixing suggested.

"Yes, Your Highness, that will be best."

"I will call my army general and we can begin transportation tonight. I will call again once we've completed our side of the preparation." Yixing smiled and then ended the call.

"What now?" Jongin asked.

Sooman cleared his throat. "There is still the matter of trying to approach this without fighting back."

"If we can convince Alpha King Kyuhyun to discuss the matters of his accusation, we can use the presence of Sungmin to our advantage," Seokwon said.

"What are you trying to say?" Joonmyun asked.

"It seems that Alpha King Kyuhyun is terribly in love with Sungmin and as we have heard, Sungmin reciprocates the feeling. If we can convince Alpha King Kyuhyun that we didn't kidnap Sungmin, he might not continue with his attack."

"Does Alpha King Kyuhyun know that you're pregnant?" Kibum asked.

Sungmin shook his head. "If he knew I was carrying his child, who knows what he would do to me and I can't risk him asking me to get rid of the baby."

"Maybe we can use this to our advantage," Kibum said.

"Our only problem now is getting the message to Alpha King Kyuhyun," Heechul said.

"We can try contacting him as much as possible, but in case he doesn't agree to our peace talks, we'll need to evacuate everyone."

The rest of Joonmyun's council nodded. "All right, Minseok, I'll leave the matter of contacting Alpha King Kyuhyun to you. Minho, I'll leave the matter of preparing the army with you and the ERU can handle the rest of the evacuations. Heechul, if you need military assistance, please talk with Minho."

"What about us?" Jongdae asked, panic clear in his eyes and Eunhyuk and Donghae shared a look before turning their attention to the king.

Joonmyun looked at Jongdae and then his eyes drifted to Jongdae's stomach. He swallowed and took a deep breath. "The royal family have their separate transportation that will bring them to the mountains just outside of the kingdom's borders. There is a safe house somewhere in the area that Alpha King Sedon built in case of another war. You and the rest of your family will be included along with the royal family’s evacuation."

"What? Hyung, I'm staying here," Jongin interrupted.

"Donghae and I would also like to stay and help with the evacuation process. We know that some of this mess is partly our fault. I'm sure Jongdae would like to stay and help too." Eunhyuk said, gazing back and forth between Jongdae and Joonmyun.

It was then that Joonmyun realized that Jongdae had yet to tell his parents about his pregnancy. He took a deep breath. "Jongin, you and I both know that you can't stay here. If there is a war and something happens to me, you will be next in line to inherit the throne."

Jongin clicked his tongue, and clenched his fist. He looked ready to scream, but Jongshin intervened.

"Jongin," he said. "It's for the best."

"As for Eunhyuk and Donghae, we thank you for your assistance. You may ask Heechul for further instructions. However, I cannot give Jongdae permission to help during the evacuation process. He is to accompany the rest of my family to the mountains where they will be safe from the impending war."

Jongdae locked eyes with Joonmyun and when Joonmyun glanced down to Jongdae's stomach, Jongdae understood what it meant. Before Eunhyuk and Donghae could protest, Jongdae said, "I understand."

Joonmyun barely held back his sigh in relief. "Sungmin, I'm sorry, but we cannot allow you to leave until we've talked with Alpha King Kyuhyun, but as soon we can confirm that Alpha King Kyuhyun has no plans on pulling back his attacks, you will be sent to the royal family's safe house in the mountains."

Sungmin nodded. "I understand."

"Uncle Jongshin, I leave the matters of the family up to you," Joonmyun said. When Jongshin nodded, Joonmyun ended the meeting and allowed the dismissal of everyone except for Sungmin.

"Please stay in the castle until we can confirm that Alpha King Kyuhyun cannot be contacted and until we can conduct peace talks with His Highness. We will have your room prepared in the meantime."

"Thank you, Alpha King Joonmyun and once again, I'm sorry."

Joonmyun offered him a comforting smile, albeit he knew it looked and felt awkward. "What's done is done," he said truthfully. "What matters now is that we try to prevent all this damage and hurt that's about to come."

"Your Highness," Minseok interrupted. "I've tried contacting Alpha King Kyuhyun's party but none of the contact information we've been given are being answered."

"Sungmin, do you think you could provide us some more contact information that we might know of?"

"I will try," Sungmin said and Minseok went to him, checking the details they had and shook his head. "I'm sorry. These are all the contacts that I know and can give you."

Joonmyun nodded. "Thank you, Sungmin. If that is the case, we'll have no choice but to send someone as messenger. We'll have you escorted to your room now. Thank you for everything you've done, Sungmin. Minseok, call someone that will escort Sungmin to his room and contact Minho."

Minseok nodded. A maid came by to escort Sungmin to his room and before the door could close, Jongdae appeared, looking worn and a frown on his face.

"Jongdae, what are you doing here?"

"I begged your uncle to let me stay for a while. I really needed to talk to you." Jongdae looked down and swallowed thickly. "I used the baby card," he whispered.

Joonmyun stood up and pulled Jongdae down to sit down on the chair next to him. "What's wrong?"

"I don't—I don't really know. I'm just. I'm scared and confused and I don't really know what to do. I also don't appreciate you ordering me to evacuate, but I also really get it. I really do but—" Joonmyun squeezed his hand and Jongdae took a deep breath. "But more than that, I'm just really really scared knowing you'll be here when there could be a war and I'd be so far from the kingdom that I'll barely even know what's going on."

Joonmyun frowned and pulled Jongdae into his embrace. Jongdae relaxed in his arms. "What will I do then?"

Joonmyun carded his fingers into Jongdae's hair. "I can't promise that everything will be alright, but no matter what, I will try and make it." _For you and for our baby_ , he didn't say.

Jongdae held him tighter before crashing their lips together. It took Joonmyun by surprise but quickly returned the kiss, one hand going up to Jongdae's stomach to feel their unborn child.

"Keep safe," Joonmyun whispered on Jongdae's lips.

"You too."

Although Joonmyun didn't want to, he let go of Jongdae and allowed Minseok to whisk him away. Jongdae didn't fight back and followed Minseok, sending Joonmyun one last glance before they closed the door.

Joonmyun sat in silence for a few minutes, trying to calm down enough to compose what he would say to the messenger for Kyuhyun. But whenever he closed his eyes, all he could see was Jongdae with a child in his arms, crying on his knees.

 

* * *

 

Roughly two days had passed since Joonmyun sent his messenger all the way to Venocia. The rest of his family had already been evacuated and only his council and Minseok stayed in the kingdom. Less than half of the evacuated families were already on their way to Namcia and the other half were still waiting for transport.

Joonmyun paced around his throne room waiting for news, hoping that whatever news came were good.

"Your Highness," Minseok greeted, coming in from the entrance hall. "We've received word from General Minho that the army from Namcia has arrived. They're setting up camp along the borders and are being briefed on the plan to surround the kingdom with troops."

"Thank you, Minseok. Are there no news about my family and the evacuees?"

"None yet, Your Highness."

"And the messenger?"

"We've received reports that they’re on their way back with Venocia's reply. We already have someone waiting for them at the airport and will be driven back here before being sent back to the border."

"Thank you, Minseok. That will be all." Joonmyun took a deep breath and finally took a seat on his throne. He hadn't sat on the chair in the years following his coronation. It was comfortable as a chair, but the meaning behind being allowed to sit on it weighed heavily on his shoulders. He avoided it at all costs, but now, he needed to show the kingdom that he could be king when they needed him most.

"How about some coffee, Your Highness?" Minseok asked before leaving.

Joonmyun turned to Minseok, a little surprised by the offer, but smiled. "Thank you, Minseok, that would be wonderful."

In the middle of his second sip, the sound of running echoed in the halls. Joonmyun quickly handed the cup of coffee to Minseok and stood up from his chair. The messenger they sent, Captain Hyoyeon bowed as soon as she stood before the throne, followed by her escort of privates.

"Your Highness," Hyoyeon greeted.

"What did Alpha King Kyuhyun say?" Joonmyun asked, cutting to the chase.

"Alpha King Kyuhyun laughed at your message at first, but he thought about it for an hour and agreed to your request for a discussion. He will be on a flight to Sedocia early tomorrow morning and his only request is that you bring Sungmin to the meeting place you designated. If he finds that Sungmin has been harmed in anyway, he—" Hyoyeon paused and shifted her eyes before continuing. "—he'll kill you with his bare hands."

Joonmyun didn't flinch. He just stood with his posture perfect and nodded. "Thank you. You may go back to your post. The car that brought you here will bring you back."

Hyoyeon and her escorts nodded before leaving the throne room. Joonmyun stood there waiting before he sank back down on his chair.

"Contact Minho to set up a checkpoint for the meeting place."

"You do know if Alpha King Kyuhyun wants to kill you with his bare hands, he still can, right?"

Joonmyun sighed. "I know, but at least I can prevent him from using weapons that may aid in his plan."

"If you say so," Minseok said, before contacting Minho. "Anything else?"

"Bring Sungmin to the throne room, we need to brief him on the meeting."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Sungmin came down to the throne room minutes later, looking weary and worried.

"How are you today, Sungmin?" Joonmyun asked.

"I'm fine, Your Highness, just worried."

"Please do inform us if there's something unusual that you may be feeling so we can send a doctor to check on you," Joonmyun reminded, eyes glancing down at Sungmin's stomach. He hoped, deep inside of him, that Jongdae and their child were doing well.

"Yes, thank you, Your Highness. Why have you sent for me?"

"Alpha King Kyuhyun has responded to our invitation of peace talks. He agreed but only if you were to be present. There will be a checkpoint to make sure that no one brings any weapons of any kind, so please don't bring anything that can be used against another person. All kings will be present but even though Donocia and Namcia have taken sides, they will do their best to act as mediators."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Joonmyun flashed him the best comforting smile that he could muster. "There will also be soldiers from both sides guarding the place so be mindful of your actions. If you feel that you need medical assistance, Doctor Kim will be close by for you."

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"Please be ready to leave the castle early in the morning on the day after tomorrow. Alpha King Kyuhyun will have arrived by then."

Sungmin gasped.

"Please don't worry, Sungmin. We'll protect you to the best of our abilities and we promise to keep you and your child safe."

Sungmin pursed his lips but nodded.

"Rest well, Sungmin."

Sungmin nodded and went back to his room. When they were alone again, Minseok called Joonmyun's attention.

"Your Highness, we've received word that your family has been safely evacuated."

Joonmyun almost fell back on his throne with the relief that flooded him. He took a deep breath and finally felt a real smile creep up to his lips. "Thank you, Minseok. Have we informed my cousin Sunny about Jongdae's condition?"

"Yes, she's been briefed and the details of Jongdae's pregnancy have been given to her."

"Thank you. You may go and rest now."

Minseok nodded, but before he could leave Joonmyun, he turned to look at the king whose eyes were fixed on the view displayed by the large window.

"What about you, Your Highness?"

"I'll stay here for a few more minutes." He didn't look back and just kept his eyes on the moonless sky, littered with a million bright stars.

Minseok didn't say anything else and walked out. The only sign he'd gone were the sound of his fading footsteps. Silence blanketed Joonmyun but he didn't feel lonely. Instead, he closed his eyes.

_Mother, Father. Please guide me tomorrow as I try to save the lives of not only my people but the people I love._


	13. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOOOOOOOOOO We're so close to the ending guys! ~~Sorry that this is all unbeta-ed, but I hope it's not too bad.~~   
>  ~~ Also, I have a surprise for you guys in a couple of hours so wait for it! :) ~~

Joonmyun woke up that morning to the sound of nothing. Not the sound of his alarm, or the sound of maids running about cooking breakfast or cleaning the castle. Joonmyun wondered if this was what war sounded like, nothingness until everything exploded right before your eyes.

"Your Highness," Minseok's muffled voice drew him out of his thoughts.

"Come in."

"It's time," Minseok said.

Joonmyun nodded and turned away from the window, overlooking the land beyond Sedocia's borders.

"What about Sungmin?" Joonmyun asked as they made their way to the car.

"He's being driven along with Doctor Kim in a separate convoy," Minseok replied. "You ready?"

Joonmyun flashed him a quick smile. "Ready as I'll ever be."

Minseok nodded. "Whatever happens today, whatever you might think, I believe that you made all the right choices and that you are a good king—the right king for Sedocia."

Joonmyun's heart swelled at the compliment and it gave him the confidence he needed to face his biggest trial of the day. "Thank you, Minseok."

"You're always welcome." Minseok closed the door once Joonmyun settled in the car.

The drive to the gates of Sedocia seemed to take forever and then no time at all when they were finally close enough to see the army of men and women ready to fight for their kingdom.

Minho greeted Joonmyun as soon as he exited the car, shaking his hand and updating him on the situation. "We've left the gates closed since the announcement but the people guarding the borders have noticed activities outside and we're all assuming that Venocia and Donocia are preparing to attack in case all does not go well with the peace talks."

"Do we know what kind of weapons they might have?" Joonmyun asked while Minho led them to the booth where all the kings would gather.

Minho shook his head. "None of the guards could see and their soldiers have done well to conceal it deep into the forest. We're prepared for whatever they might throw our way, but in case they decide to attack and literally tear down the walls of Sedocia, we've placed the booth farthest from the borders."

"I see, thank you, Minho."

"You're welcome, Your Highness. We've also received word that Alpha King Yixing's plane will be arriving just before Venocia's."

"When Alpha King Yixing arrives, send for the convoys to bring him here to the booth immediately."

"Yes, Your Highness." Minho bowed one last time and returned to his post, leaving Joonmyun and Minseok sitting under the booth.

The booth had a makeshift roof, made out of wood and plastic, the plastic hanging low to the sides and back, leaving the front completely open. Joonmyun had provided the table and chairs once he'd acquired Kyuhyun's agreement to talk. It wasn't nearly as private as Joonmyun wanted, but it would have to do.

"Your Highness," Minseok began. "What do we do about Sungmin?"

"Keep him housed in one of the tents close by and tell him not to go out until I send word for him. We're not letting Alpha King Kyuhyun see him until I say so."

"Yes, Your Highness." Minseok quickly made the call and the escort for Sungmin passed by, bringing the pregnant omega and the doctor to one of the tents closest to the booth.

Yixing's convoy arrived a few minutes later, his car stopping directly at the booth before disappearing among the other cars around the area.

"Joonmyun," Yixing greeted, shaking Joonmyun's hand and taking his seat beside the king.

"Thank you again for coming, Yixing."

Yixing gave him a soft smile, almost solemn. "Although I believe that peace and communication must always be our first option when it comes to resolution, I also believe in fighting for what is right."

Joonmyun nodded. "I just hope that Alpha King Kyuhyun will see reason when we talk to him."

"Excuse me, Your Highnesses," Minseok said. "We've received word that Alpha Kings Kyuhyun and Yunho have arrived."

Joonmyun's heart pounded but he took a deep breath and swallowed the growing lump in his throat. "Welcome them in."

While they waited for Kyuhyun's convoy to arrive, a group of five soldiers surrounded the booth, guarding and protecting their privacy. Joonmyun could hear his blood rushing in his ears and he tried to keep himself calm or at least look calm.

As soon as the car holding Kyuhyun stopped, the older king burst out of the door, stalking the table and glaring down at Joonmyun. Joonmyun stood up as calmly as he could to welcome Kyuhyun.

"Where is he!?" Kyuhyun screamed, slamming his hands on the table. Yunho and his advisor appeared then, pulling Kyuhyun away and asking him to calm down. "Where's Sungmin!? Bring him here or I'll call my men to bomb your whole kingdom to the ground!"

"Alpha King Kyuhyun!" Joonmyun shouted. "If you break our walls down, you might accidentally kill Sungmin in the process, so please, just calm down and listen to what we have to say."

Yunho shook Kyuhyun a few times until the king calmed down, pulling his arm out of Yunho's hold.

"Welcome to Sedocia, Alpha King Kyuhyun and Alpha King Yunho. We're sorry that we've had to meet under such circumstances, but I hope we can continue to act as civil as possible while we conduct our discussion of the impending war you've waged against us." Joonmyun ushered for the rest of them to take a seat and they all did, their advisors standing behind their kings.

Kyuhyun scoffed. "Nothing you say will change my mind, but I dare you to try."

"Kyuhyun," Yunho scolded lightly. "I'd like to hear your side, Your Highness," he said, turning to Joonmyun.

"I know Alpha King Kyuhyun won't believe me when I say that we didn't kidnap Sungmin, but the truth is that we didn't. We indeed have Sungmin in our kingdom, but it's because he'd somehow managed to ask a relative of his for help. This relative sought out my assistance in an elaborate rescue operation to save _a male omega_ who they refused to name. I had no way of knowing they'd be coming back with Sungmin."

"Bullshit," Kyuhyun shouted, leaning forward to reach out to Joonmyun, but Yunho's advisor held him back. "Sungmin has no reason to leave me."

Joonmyun sighed. "Whatever Sungmin's reasons are for leaving you, they are not mine to say."

"Fuck you!"

"Kyuhyun! Calm down," Yunho said, holding Kyuhyun down. "Junsu." He turned to his advisor and the man named Junsu quickly went to hold Kyuhyun down. Kyuhyun shook off his hands and took a deep breath, clenching his fists on top of the table.

"Alpha King Kyuhyun," Joonmyun said softly. "If you promise to calm down and hear what we have to say, then we promise to bring Sungmin out as soon as possible."

Kyuhyun cursed and grumbled. His knuckles looked almost white with the how hard he curled his fists. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "What do you want to say?"

"If you sign the treaty and promise to surrender, we'll let you see Sungmin and if he allows it, we'll even let you two talk."

"And if I don't sign your treaty?" Kyuhyun scoffed and crossed his arms.

"As payment for saving him, Sungmin has shared with us incriminating information against the Venocian Royal family."

"You turned him against me?" Kyuhyun kicked at the table but shook his head. "It doesn't matter because I will tear Sedocia down to the ground. You won't even be alive to use whatever you have against me."

"In case that does happen, I have made arrangements for the information Sungmin has given me to be spread around the country as soon as you turn your back on the treaty. Not only that, but I will not allow Sungmin to go back with you no matter what. Instead, I will have him taken away to a safe place where you will never be able to find him unless you keep me alive."

"How dare you!?" Kyuhyun screamed, standing up and slamming his hands on the table. He tried to stare Joonmyun down, but Joonmyun didn’t look away, even when his heart pounded loudly in his ears. Before Yunho or Junsu could try to bring him down, Kyuhyun lowered his head and slowly sat back down. The older king closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I want," Kyuhyun started, voice soft and sounding too much like a plea. "I want to talk to Sungmin." Joonmyun wanted to protest but Kyuhyun looked at him, eyes begging. " _Please_ ," he said, voice almost a whisper. "I just need to see him _and then_ I'll decide."

Joonmyun studied Kyuhyun. His face looked ghastly pale, giving light to the dark circles under his eyes. Gone was the strong king who'd held him and Jongdae on the palm of his hands just a few months ago, replaced by this man so broken down and lost. He wondered if this was what love did to people, tear their defenses down until they were as bare as the day they were born.

"I understand," Joonmyun said. "I will allow it but only on one condition. You are not allowed to speak to him in private."

Kyuhyun grumbled at the obvious insult, but he clenched his fists and nodded. "Fine."

Joonmyun nodded and turned to Minseok. "Tell Sungmin it's time."

Once Sungmin's escorts appeared, Kyuhyun immediately stood up from his seat, surprising the rest of the people inside the booth. Before Joonmyun or any of the others could pull him back, Kyuhyun pushed aside one of the escorts and pulled Sungmin into his arms, crashing their lips together. Sungmin struggled in Kyuhyun's arms and his escorts threw Joonmyun worried glances, unsure whether to point their guns at the king. Joonmyun put his hand up, stopping them and waited to see if Sungmin would continue to struggle. Sungmin squirmed for a few more seconds before gripping onto Kyuhyun's clothes, kissing Kyuhyun back.

Joonmyun sighed and gestured for the escorts to put their guns down, stepping back to give the older king and omega some space.

Kyuhyun pulled away and rested his forehead against Sungmin's. He whispered, "Why'd you leave me?"

"Excuse me, Your Highness," Joonmyun spoke up, interrupting the atmosphere between the two. Joonmyun reached out and held onto Sungmin's arm, gently pulling him away from Kyuhyun's hold. "I'm sorry, but for now, I think it would be best if Sungmin were to sit with us."

Kyuhyun glared at Joonmyun but reluctantly let go of Sungmin, allowing Joonmyun to sit him in between him and Yixing. Yesung followed after Sungmin, standing behind his chair. Kyuhyun caught sight of the man and immediately stalked forward.

"What's the meaning of this? You said he was unharmed! Why is there a doctor accompanying him? How dare you lie to me, Alpha King Joonmyun?"

"I'm fine!" Sungmin shouted, surprising all of them at the strength of his voice.

“What are you talking about? You’re obviously not fine if you have a doctor following you around.”

Joonmyun looked back and forth between Kyuhyun and Sungmin. He opened his mouth to answer in Sungmin’s stead but the omega beat him to it. “I’m pregnant.”

“What?” Kyuhyun fell back onto his seat. "How?" he whispered. "They got you pregnant?"

Joonmyun wanted to chuckle at that but he didn't think it was the time or place to be laughing. He glanced at Sungmin and found the omega red in the face.

"No, Kyuhyun," he said, voice low but serious, almost menacing in the way it was neutral. "I'm pregnant with _your_ child," after a beat he added, "and that's why I left."

"What?" Kyuhyun asked, eyes unfocused as they took in his hands on the table.

Sungmin sighed. "I left because if people found out I, a male omega, was carrying an alpha king’s— _your_ child, who knows what they would've done to me and my baby. I couldn't—I couldn't risk losing my child."

"I would've accepted any child you would've given me as my heir because they would be an alpha," Kyuhyun said.

"Yes, you would have, but the people of Venocia would never accept me as the child's father! If they found out your child was from me, they might not only ask for my death, but also the child's."

"Then I would imprison them, have them killed—"

"You don't even understand how your own people think! Do you really think that would work for the rest of our lives? Even if you tried that, one day, you'd end up marrying some alpha royal and then I would lose all my rights to my child." Sungmin fell back to his seat and buried his face in his hands.

"So that's it?" Kyuhyun asked, voice soft. "You're turning your back on me, just like that?"

"Please," Sungmin uttered, lifting his head out of his hands and giving everyone a sight of his brokenness. "Please don't ever make it sound like the choice I made was easy. I did what I thought would keep me alive—"

" _I_ ," Kyuhyun screamed. "I would keep you alive."

Sungmin just shook his head. "Not for long. How many times do you think I've watched you break your promises to _me_? You wouldn't be able to keep me or our baby alive!"

Joonmyun watched as Kyuhyun froze in his seat, wide eyes only on Sungmin. Sungmin, almost as if he couldn't bare the weight of his gaze, turned his head away.

"That's why," Sungmin began. "That's why it's better for us to stay here in Sedocia. In Sedocia, we could at least have a life, our— _my_ child will at least have me." When it was evident that Kyuhyun wouldn't say anything, Sungmin continued. "So please, take your army and go back to Venocia. Let me go, Kyuhyun."

Joonmyun turned to Kyuhyun and saw the Venocian Alpha King shed a tear before lowering his head.

"Excuse me, Your Highness," Yixing began. "I don't mean to interrupt your conversation, but I do believe there is a solution to your problem. If you sign the treaty, Sungmin and your child will be able to have the same chances he would have in Sedocia."

Kyuhyun shook his head. "It's not that easy. I can't just sign a fucking treaty and everything will be alright all of a sudden. It doesn't work like that. I'd have to put more than half of the royal family to jail, the people— _my_ people would outrage! There could be a war in my own kingdom!"

"This isn't just about Sungmin, Your Highness," Yixing added. "This is also about the lives of all those mistreated omegas who are also your people, the alphas and betas who've sacrificed their lives to get those omegas to safety, to give them the chance to live."

"It's not that easy!" Kyuhyun shouted, banging his hands on the table. "The sins of my family run too deep in my kingdom. Even if I tried, there's no guarantee of success or even of change! Even if I tried, they might still want Sungmin and our child's death. What then? Will I lose my family as well as my kingdom?"

"Alpha King Kyuhyun, please, calm down," Joonmyun said gently. Kyuhyun seethed but took a deep breath and sat back down on his chair. His glare disappeared, replaced by worry and anxiety. Joonmyun noticed how his unclenched fists shook just slightly. "If you sign the treaty, Sedocia and Namcia promise to lend our hand to Venocia in ensuring that the regulations of the treaty are met. You will not have to deal with the problem alone as we will become alliances in the equal rights movement."

"I promised that I would sign the treaty once Alpha King Kyuhyun signs it and I will not back down on that promise, so will you also provide your assistance to Donocia if or when that happens?" Yunho asked.

"Yes, of course," Joonmyun said with a smile, but Kyuhyun still looked unsure.

After a minute or two, Kyuhyun finally lifted his head and locked eyes with Sungmin. Sungmin froze in his seat at the intensity of his gaze. "Would you come home with me if I sign the treaty?"

Sungmin's eyes widened before turning to Yixing and Joonmyun, almost as if asking for permission. Joonmyun smiled at him kindly and nodded his head.

"Yes, I would," Sungmin finally said.

For a moment, Kyuhyun said nothing, did nothing. He just sat there staring into Sungmin's eyes and then he sighed.

"I'll do it," he said. "I'll sign the treaty."

Joonmyun thought that Kyuhyun must have really loved Sungmin. When he turned to look at Sungmin, he saw the same kind of emotion swimming in his eyes. _No,_ he corrected himself. _It wasn’t just Kyuhyun._ They _really love each other._

"Your Highness?"

Joonmyun quickly shook away his thoughts and turned his attention to the treaty on the table. Both parties had finished reading and were now ready to sign.

"Once you sign the treaty, we can begin discussion on the steps we can take in helping your kingdoms follow its regulations," Joonmyun said and both Kyuhyun and Yunho nodded. "But I think it would be better if we first settled the situation at hand." Joonmyun gestured to the troops outside of their tent. "There is much to be done to clear the accusations that Alpha King Kyuhyun has thrown against us but we are prepared to help resolve any misunderstandings."

Kyuhyun threw Joonmyun an apologetic glance before signing the treaty, followed by Yunho.

"We can begin discussion once all the board members of Equal Rights Union have made their way back to the kingdom. Your Highnesses, welcome to the union," Joonmyun finally said, extending his hand. Kyuhyun and Yunho took it, shaking his hand and Yixing's as well.

"Thank you," Kyuhyun said, voice a little soft. "And I'm sorry for the accusation that I threw against you and your kingdom. Rest assured, I will do my best to fix the problems that my statements may have caused."

Joonmyun gave Kyuhyun a smile. "You're welcome, Your Highness, and thank you. I would appreciate that very much."

Kyuhyun returned the smile and turned to Yunho. "Call off the army," he said. "There is no need for war anymore." Yunho nodded and turned to whisper in Junsu's ear.

"Sungmin," Kyuhyun said, approaching Sungmin from where they stood. "I know you feel safer here but I want—need you to come back with me."

Sungmin sighed, looking conflicted.

"If you don't mind,” Joonmyun interrupted. “If it would help Sungmin feel safer coming back to Venocia, then we’d like to offer him two military escorts to make sure that no one who plots against Your Highness and his family will be able to accomplish their goals.”

Kyuhyun nodded. "Anything, if it will make Sungmin feel safer, I'll do it, so please, Sungmin _come home_."

"Thank you, Alpha King Joonmyun," Sungmin said and then turned to Kyuhyun. "Okay, I'll come home with you."

Kyuhyun sighed and pulled Sungmin into his arms. Kyuhyun started whispering apologies and more, almost on the brink of crying. Sungmin hesitantly wrapped his own arms around Kyuhyun, burying his head in his chest. Joonmyun looked away and decided to give them some privacy.

"It's done," Joonmyun heard Junsu say to Yunho.

"Alpha King Joonmyun," Yunho said. "The armies we've sent outside of Sedocia's borders have started retreating. We suggest that you begin moving your own men. We'll inform them of the treaty that will now be in action in both kingdoms once Kyuhyun and I have made our way back home."

"Thank you, Alpha King Yunho."

Yunho shot him a smile. "No, thank you, Your Highness. And thank you as well, Alpha King Yixing."

"It was all Alpha King Joonmyun, really,” he said with a laugh.

Yunho smiled and nodded. "Yes, you’re right. You handled this matter with such finesse and all the bloodshed was avoided. Once again, I apologize on behalf of my kingdom for doubting you so easily. I hope that it will not sully our future alliance with you and Namcia."

"Of course not. We look forward to helping you and Venocia once all of this passes."

"Likewise," Yixing said

Yunho bowed and shook both of their hands before bidding them goodbye. Kyuhyun and Sungmin followed after, stopping by in front of them. Kyuhyun had an arm wrapped around Sungmin's waist, but the omega didn't look uncomfortable.

"We apologize for leaving quickly but I believe it would be better to get Sungmin home as soon as possible so we can have him checked by my physician," Kyuhyun said.

"Of course, I understand. His doctor here, Doctor Kim, will be willing to give you the details of his examination on Sungmin's pregnancy." He gestured to the doctor talking to one of the soldiers surrounding the tent.

"Thank you so much, Alpha King Joonmyun and I'm sorry once again. I know most of this mess was my fault," Sungmin said.

Joonmyun smiled at them both. "There is no more need for apologies. This way, not only have I learned a lesson, but the treaty can be fully implemented in all kingdoms. It would be best if we moved on from this and focused our attention on the future implementation of the treaty."

Before Kyuhyun and Sungmin could leave, Joonmyun called for the two soldiers who'd be willing to become Sungmin's guards in Venocia, staying there for a period of time until they weren't needed anymore. Hyoyeon, the messenger he'd sent, and Jonghyun, a private, both volunteered, assuring Joonmyun that their families would be alright with the sacrifice.

"You need not worry about bringing too many of your things," Kyuhyun said. "We will be more than willing to provide for you. Anything that you will need from clothes to food will be given, all you need to do is ask."

Once they gathered their things from the camp, Kyuhyun and Sungmin bid Joonmyun and Yixing goodbye. Yunho and Junsu waited for them by their cars.

Joonmyun watched as their cars left, Yunho and Junsu first, followed by Kyuhyun and Sungmin. Murmurs of his army echoed all around until the cars disappeared out of sight and then the cheers erupted. Joonmyun smiled. A part of him cheered with his people, rejoiced in the triumph that they'd accomplished, but a part of him still felt trapped in that booth, surrounded by the other kings.

“Alpha King Joonmyun,” Yixing’s voice rang in his ears. “I’ve sent word for some of my military forces to prepare the evacuees for their return.”

Joonmyun nodded, but even while he spoke, he couldn’t really hear what he’d said. At some point, he remembered Yixing smiling and bidding him goodbye. His attention continued to drift even as he gave orders to retreat, to send transportation to Namcia to bring his people home, to bring his family home.

Once he bid his army goodbye, Joonmyun finally sat back on the seat of his car and took a deep breath.

“It’s done.”

When he exhaled, Joonmyun felt the pressure in his chest subside, the ringing in his ears fade away. It was over. There was no more war, no need for death and bloodshed. Joonmyun, his men, his _kingdom_ was still here, still standing. He could live another day, could live to see tomorrow, to see his family. _Oh god, my family,_ he thought.

Joonmyun haunched over his seat as he remembered that his family didn’t just consist of him and his brother. Joonmyun had Jongdae now, had a _child_ with him. When he closed his eyes, he could no longer picture Jongdae with a child in his arms, crying and on his knees. This time, he could remember parts of his dream, flashes of his picture perfect family with Jongdae.

He almost cried at the thought that he could still live to see _that_ day.

“Your Highness, are you alright?”

Joonmyun’s hands shook but he took a deep breath and leaned back on his seat.

“Yes, I’m fine, Minseok. I just realized something.”

Minseok gave him one long look before nodding and turning back to the road.

Joonmyun was still alive and it wasn’t too late for him to start living.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to everyone who expected a war to happen... I'm honestly not good enough to write one and I honestly don't think a war in a modern setting was wise? I truly and honestly believe in trying to solve matters, even political, through discussion haha. I know, I suck. XD I hope this answers a lot of the questions and/or possible doubts you may have had about Kyuhyun and his personality. If there's more, feel free to comment and I'll get to them as best as I can! :3


	14. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~ SURPRISE! Double update!!!  ~~
> 
> ~~ Since it's the end, I thought I'd post the last two chaps on the same day.  ~~
> 
> ~~ Now, I'd like to take this moment to give out my thanks. This has been a really long journey, starting from when I got the idea to the time I signed up for the challenge and then up to here. I never really thought I'd get here to the end. There were so many times where I thought about dropping out and I'm so glad I didn't because I actually finished!!! So yeah, thank you to the dium mods for being so kind to me and considerate. Thank you to my betas [Ate Clara](http://archiveofourown.org/users/caramiro/) and [Venice](http://archiveofourown.org/users/detunedxradio/)!!! Thank you for working to make this fic better.  ~~
> 
> ~~ Last but not the least, thank you, readers, for loving my fic. I know some of you can tell my obvious low self-esteem when it came to the fic. I was really worried about the reactions to my fic because it was the first time I'd ever written something like this. It may still not be a good fic to a lot of people but as long as I feel good and love my own work, I can live with that. So yeah, if you're one of the few people who loved my fic, thank you! If you kudos-ed or commented, whether out of pity or love, thank you!!! I love each and every one of you.  ~~

"Your Highness," Minseok greeted, placing the tea set down on the king's surprisingly clean table. Joonmyun stood in front of the window, hands behind his back and eyes on the horizon. "I have your tea."

"Thank you," he said. Joonmyun turned away from the window and took his seat by the desk.

"What's wrong?" Minseok finally asked, taking the chair at the front of the desk.

Joonmyun looked Minseok in the eye. "I've been doing a lot of thinking and,” took a long sip of his tea, “I think I love Jongdae."

"You think?"

Joonmyun shot Minseok a look. "I'm not too sure of my feelings yet, but I had an epiphany back in the car. I realize how lucky I am to still be alive today and I don't want to waste whatever years I've got left worrying about my feelings for Jongdae. All I know is I want him to rule by my side for the rest of our lives, to raise our child together and it may or may not be love, but I think it's somewhere there."

Minseok chuckled. "I do believe that's love, Your Highness. But judging by the wrinkle between your forehead, that's not all you were thinking about?"

"Yes, well, while I was thinking of ways to express how I felt, I remembered that the treaty had been signed. The purpose of our union has already been fulfilled, and I didn't even need to be in love with him for it to happen."

"But it's too late now," Minseok whispered like an afterthought.

"Yes, it's too late now. I already harbor such deep affection for Jongdae, but I'm not sure he shares the same sentiments as I do, especially now that there is no point in marrying each other."

"What about the baby?"

Joonmyun took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I'm afraid that Jongdae might be scared of having the child. He was so scared when we found out that he refused to look at the ultrasound photos. It might've been too soon for him."

"So you think that even with the baby, he might not stay?"

"I think that the baby might be the very reason he leaves." He pinched the bridge nose.

"What do you want to do then?"

"I want to talk with Jongdae first, hear what he wants to do about our situation. I realize now that consulting everyone without talking to him first was selfish. It's as much his child as it is mine."

"And if he decides that he doesn't want to continue with the marriage?"

Joonmyun smiled sadly at his cup of tea. "Then just like I promised him, I'll let him go."

"You won't even tell him about your feelings? What about you? What about what _you_ want to do?" Joonmyun was taken aback by the sudden anger in Minseok's tone, but he understood that Minseok, as his friend, cared for him. Minseok looked apologetic after the outburst but waited for Joonmyun to answer his questions.

"I want to," Joonmyun admitted. "But I don't want my feelings to influence his decisions. He's been so selfless throughout this whole thing and I don't want to trap him in an arrangement that won't make him happy."

"What about you? Don't you think you deserve to choose as well? You've been just as selfless since you took on the crown. Just because you're giving Jongdae the power to make decisions doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your own happiness."

Joonmyun took a deep breath and smiled at Minseok. "Thank you for your concern, Minseok. You're a good friend, but whatever Jongdae decides, I'm sure I'll be more than all right with it.

"Even if it means happiness that's not by your side?"

"Yes."

Minseok sighed. He stood up and poured himself some tea, downing it quickly before sitting back down again. "You're _really_ —" Minseok paused, pursed his lips tight, and took a deep breath. Joonmyun was expecting him to say stupid or frustrating. "—admirable," was what Minseok said instead. "You're not just a good king, Joonmyun. You're a great person, too."

Joonmyun just chuckled because deep down inside his stomach twisted in knots when he thought that Jongdae might not love him as much as he loved Jongdae. The fear alone made it hard to close his eyes, to rest up for the day.

 

* * *

 

The sun had just risen when Joonmyun received word that his family was home. He'd already been awake but still laid in bed deep in thought. The news was enough to get him jumping out of his duvet, feet bare as he made his way down to the entry hall where he could already hear their soft murmuring.

Joonmyun saw Jongdae first, but it was Jongdae who ran up to him and threw himself in Joonmyun's arms. Joonmyun, despite the surprise, managed to catch Jongdae, steadying his stance on the ground so they wouldn't stumble. He smiled and closed his eyes, wrapping his own arms around Jongdae.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Jongdae kept muttering. Before Joonmyun could return the sentiment, Jongdae cradled his face in his hands and inspected him before crashing their lips together. It caught Joonmyun by surprise but quickly returned it. He threaded his fingers in Jongdae's hair and angled their heads to kiss Jongdae gently.

Joonmyun’s heart pounded, the blood rushing in his ears, and all he could think about was how happy he was to have Jongdae in his arms again. When they pulled away, Jongdae rested his head against Joonmyun's, smiling in relief before pushing Joonmyun back.

"We need to talk," he whispered.

Joonmyun swallowed, hoping to calm down his heart. "Yes, we should," he replied. Before he could pull Jongdae aside, a few members of his family whistled at their display of affection.

"Joonmyun," Jongshin said, wrapping his arms around the young king. Joonmyun couldn't do more than return the hug. Soon, everyone was hugging him or each other. A few of the younger children cried and Joonmyun offered some of the guest rooms for them to rest in.

"Hyung, I'm so glad you're okay," Jongin said once he finally had Joonmyun in his arms. "How did you do it, hyung? No one could tell us anything."

Joonmyun gave them a shaky smile. "Why don't we head on to the dining room so everyone can eat while I tell you guys what happened?"

"Sounds like a great idea," Jaehyun said, almost exaggeratedly. A couple of the parents chuckled, ushering their kids towards the dining room.

Joonmyun waited until he was by Jongdae's side once more before following. He couldn't help his need to be around the omega, a part of his instincts telling him to _protect_ the younger. He loosely linked their fingers together and made sure Jongdae sat close to him on the table.

"Tell us, Joonmyun," his aunt Joomin started. "What happened? Why did Alpha King Kyuhyun back out? How did you make him retreat?"

Joonmyun took a deep breath, catching the sweet aroma of Jongdae's scent, and told everyone everything that happened the day before. He tried to be less graphic when it came to the younger cousins, but most of them were too busy eating. Once the kids were ushered into guest rooms to rest, only the adults stayed and Joonmyun openly spoke about the issue between Sungmin and Kyuhyun.

"I almost can't believe that worked," Jongin said aloud.

"So it's over?" Jongdae said, voice soft at first. "Alpha King Kyuhyun has signed the treaty?"

Joonmyun swallowed the lump in his throat and tried his best to smile. "Yes, he has."

He could almost hear it in the quiet, the soft question that plagued not only him, but now, Jongdae as well. _We don't have to push through with the engagement anymore?_

His family seemed to notice the tense air around them because they quickly excused themselves to different parts of the castle. Jongin and Kyungsoo lingered for a second more before urging Sunny to accompany them to Jongin's old room. Jongdae took one more mouthful of his rice before setting the bowl down.

Joonmyun drank the last of his tea and took a deep breath.

"Do you want to rest first?"

"We need to talk."

They both said it at the same time. They turned to each other, eyes wide, and Jongdae chuckled. "I think now's a good time as any."

"Are you sure? I know you're tired and it's been a really long few days for you. If you want to rest, I won't mind delaying our talk."

"I think it'd be best if we talked now. I—I kinda don't wanna forget all the things I wanna say."

"I see, of course. I think it would be best if we talked in my room then. In case you feel tired or sleepy, at least there will be a bed nearby."

"Okay." Jongdae got up from his seat and Joonmyun led the way to his room. They walked side by side, Jongdae looking up at the walls of the castle, admiring the designs. Joonmyun swallowed the growing lump in his throat the closer they reached his room.

"Have a seat," Joonmyun said, gesturing to the long couch at the foot of his bed. He caught sight of his unkempt bed and quickly tried to fix the pillows, but Jongdae's eyes busied themselves with taking in the other elements occupying the space.

Once Joonmyun deemed his bed good enough, he joined Jongdae on the couch.

"You have a really big bedroom," Jongdae gushed, gaze lingering on the desk opposite them.

Joonmyun wanted to say that this could be their room when they got married but quickly swallowed down the words. He reached out for Jongdae's hand and Jongdae sidled closer to him, their arms brushing.

"How are you?" Joonmyun asked. "And the baby?" His eyes lingered on Jongdae's stomach for a second before meeting Jongdae's eyes.

"There wasn't much equipment back in the safe house so Sunny said that the best that I could do was not stress while we were there. Easier said than done really, but Jongin and Kyungsoo tried their best to make me feel better and your uncle Jongshin and aunt Joomin kept feeding me all the good food. It really helped."

Joonmyun relaxed onto Jongdae's side. "That's good to hear." Another quiet moment passed between them and Joonmyun took it upon himself to start. "I know I should've asked this sooner, but how do you feel about the baby?"

"What?"

Joonmyun gave him sad smile. "I know you were scared back when we first found out and I want—need to know how you feel about it. I'm sorry I didn't ask sooner but—"

"It's okay." Jongdae gripped his hand tight and eased back onto the couch. "I probably didn't do a good job of hiding my fear, but I did a lot of thinking when I got home that night and then more thinking at the safe house and I want to keep the baby."

Joonmyun sighed in relief, feeling the burden chip away from his shoulders. Jongdae chuckled at his obvious relief.

"Were you worried I'd give it up or something?"

Joonmyun stiffened. "No—I don't know... A little." He smiled apologetically at Jongdae before looking away. "Mostly, I had all these thoughts about what you might want to do and wasn't sure which one you were most likely to go with."

"Sorry. I was just caught so off guard, you know? I was okay with marrying you because I didn't really expect so much to change with my life; I was sure you'd be really considerate with me and my choices, like going back to work after our wedding, having kids in the far future—things like that. The baby kind of took me by surprise because if I had a baby now, I'd have to take time off, I'd have to raise the child and I thought maybe you'd want me to quit my job to raise the baby and it made me panic." Jongdae leaned his head on Joonmyun's shoulder.

"Don't worry," Joonmyun said, twining their fingers together. "You don't have to do everything alone. This is _our_ child. We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. If you don't want to quit your job, then we'll consider nannies and I'll always be around to help raise them."

"Really?"

"Of course." Joonmyun could feel his nerves start up as he tried to bring up the subject he really wanted to talk about. "But that's not all I wanted to talk about.”

"I guessed." Jongdae snorted. "I could feel you tense up, you know?"

Joonmyun flushed but decided not to argue, wanting to get straight to the point. "Now that Alpha King Kyuhyun has signed the treaty, there's no more reason for us to go through with the arrangement—"

"What!?" Jongdae quickly pulled back, hand on his stomach and eyed Joonmyun like he'd been burned. "What do you mean there's no reason for us to stay together? What do you think _our_ baby is?"

"Jongdae," Joonmyun tried to appease. "That's not what I was trying to say. Please, let me finish first."

"Then what are you trying to say?" Jongdae got off the couch, but Joonmyun pulled him back.

"Wait, please, I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have worded it that way. Let me explain to you what I really meant." He gently pulled Jongdae back to the couch, sitting him down and practically kneeling down in front of him to keep Jongdae seated.

Jongdae refused to look him in the eyes. Joonmyun sighed and pulled Jongdae's hands into his own. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that." Joonmyun rested his head on Jongdae's lap. "But I've been doing some thinking and I don't want you to stay by my side just because we have a child together. I want you to want to marry me because you want to, without having to think about our child."

"Joonmyun—"

"But I also promised you that if you ever wanted to end the arrangement, then we could and now that there's no more treaty to sign, you're free to go if you want. Our child will always be ours. We don't need to be married for them to inherit the throne."

"Joonmyun," Jongdae whispered, pulling Joonmyun up so they could sit together. Joonmyun kept his head low and Jongdae leaned in to rest their heads together. "What about you? What do you want?"

Joonmyun pulled back. It never occurred to him that Jongdae would ask him what he wanted. He almost couldn't answer, but Jongdae looked at him, searched his eyes and the words left his lips much easier than he thought they would.

"I want you."

"Then you have me."

Jongdae wrapped his arms around Joonmyun and pulled him in for a kiss. Joonmyun smiled when their lips met. Jongdae kissed with an eagerness that was hard to match and Joonmyun took it all in, savored the feeling, the heat burning in his lungs as their hearts beat together. Their hearts didn’t beat in sync, but in a rhythm that was solely theirs.

Jongdae was the first to pull away, caging Joonmyun in his arms and resting his head on the alpha’s chest. He chuckled. “As much as I would like to get hot and heavy with you, I’m really tired now.”

Joonmyun felt Jongdae relax against him. “I see,” he whispered. “Then let’s get you tucked in.” He half carried Jongdae to his bed, wrapping the thick blanket over his frame and made to leave.

“Wait.” Jongdae caught him by the wrist. “Stay with me?” he whispered, eyes blinking up at him, wide and beautiful. Joonmyun took a deep breath and nodded. He carefully snuck under the covers. Jongdae sighed once their bodies were close enough, resting his head on Joonmyun’s chest.

“Much better,” Jongdae whispered.

Joonmyun smiled. He felt the same.

 

* * *

 

Joonmyun blinked open his eyes and smiled at the tuft of hair that greeted him. Jongdae groaned on his chest and turned around to curl in on himself. Joonmyun couldn’t help but smile even wider, wrapping his arm over Jongdae’s waist and pulling the younger to his chest. He took a deep inhale of the omega’s scent, burying himself in the addictive sweetness.

“Joonmyun,” Jongdae murmured. Joonmyun hummed but Jongdae turned in his arms.

“I’m sorry,” Joonmyun whispered. “Did I wake you?”

“Nah.” Jongdae snuggled into his chest, looping his arms around his back. “The sun was too bright so I woke up a bit. What time is it?”

Joonmyun tried to read the clock from where he lay. “Somewhere around eleven in the morning.”

“Should we go down to eat lunch or something?”

“Do you want to?”

Jongdae thought about it for a moment before sighing in Joonmyun’s chest. “I want to cuddle with you a little more. Is that okay?”

“Yes, of course. That is always _okay_.” Joonmyun tightened his hold on Jongdae and adjusted their position on the bed.

They laid like that for a couple more minutes before Jongdae let out an exasperated sigh.

“I’m awake now,” he said and Joonmyun chuckled, combing his fingers through Jongdae’s hair.

“Is there something you’d like to do now that you’re awake?”

Jongdae chuckled and peered up at Joonmyun. “You keep asking me what I want, but what do you want to do, _my_ Alpha King?”

Joonmyun flushed at the petname and for a moment he forgot what he wanted to say. After clearing his throat a couple times and avoiding the teasing glint in Jongdae’s eyes, he finally remembered. “I actually want to talk, if that’s all right with you. I believe there is much more we still need to discuss regarding our _relationship_.”

“You’re so cute,” Jongdae complimented, reaching forward to plant a kiss on the apples of Joonmyun’s cheeks. “And yes, we can definitely talk. What else is there to talk about?”

"Well, now that we've decided that we both want this—" he reached for Jongdae’s hand, "—we both want us. What do we do now?"

“What do you mean?”

“Do you want to get married on the date the ERU planned or sooner? Should you start living in the castle to learn your duties as Omega Prince Consort? Do you want to get married at all?" Joonmyun asked all the questions ringing in his head and Jongdae laughed them all off.

“Woah, Joonmyun, stop right there.” He pressed a hand on Joonmyun’s chest as if to emphasize his point. “Take a deep breath and I will answer your question one by one.”

On the first breath, Jongdae said, “I definitely think we should get married.” There was a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks as he avoided Joonmyun’s gaze, eyes on their still linked hands. “And the sooner that we can the better. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I haven’t been thinking about this. When I told you that I was thinking in the safe house, our marriage was definitely something that came to mind a couple of times.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I mean,” Jongdae’s flush deepened but this time he met Joonmyun’s eyes. “I love you. I’ve known that for quite a while now so I don’t mind marrying you earlier or later. As long as we do.”

Joonmyun brushed a few strands of Jongdae’s hair away from his face. “Then let’s get married. As soon as we possibly can.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

Joonmyun didn’t let him say anything else as he captured his lips in a soft kiss. Jongdae smiled when he returned the kiss, slowly but surely turning it into something more passionate.

If they left the room a few hours later, clothes and hair askew, no one seemed to mind because their smiles were wide and their hearts were one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly wanted to write more for the ending, but when I wrote this, it felt like it was _enough_. ~~I might still end up writing two related oneshots but I don't know when that will happen.~~ So for now, this is the end. Thank you, everyone, for sticking with me this far. ♡
> 
> ~~ Also, please watch out for the repost of this to my [comm](http://wheredreamslast.livejournal.com) and [aff](www.asianfanfics.com/profile/view/300905) as it will be properly edited by then. If there were any plotholes that I missed, I may be able to go over them then! ~~


	15. Epilogue 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **WARNING:** This chapter contains graphic descriptions of MPREG.
> 
> This is the first of two epilogues that I planned to post (and you might've read/heard me say it on my notes from the last chapter). But until I can write the second epilogue... this fic is marked **complete**.

Joonmyun looked over his schedule for the coming week. The past month had been packed with activities and meetings that the king took it upon himself to see which causes and events needed his attention.

"Your Highness," Minseok called out. His advisor set down his cup of tea before occupying the seat in front of his desk.

"Do I really have a flight out to Venocia on the day after Jongdae's prenatal visit?" Joonmyun asked, scrolling up and down the calendar on his tablet.

"Yes, you do." Before Joonmyun could say anything else, Minseok continued, "Alpha King Kyuhyun seeks your assistance in the growing rebellion over the passing of the treaty."

Joonmyun just barely held back a curse from leaving his lips. This would be Jongdae's first prenatal visit and he wanted to be able to spend the whole of that day and the next with his soon-to-be husband. He took a deep breath and sighed. Venocia needed his help now more than ever and it was important to build a strong foundation in their alliance. He grit his teeth and thought that he and Jongdae would just have to bear with it for now.

"I understand. Please confirm my arrival with Sungmin and prepare something that I can gift to the royal family."

"Yes, Your Highness." Minseok left the room, phone and tablet in hand, leaving Joonmyun alone in his study.

Joonmyun took out his phone and dialed the numbers he'd memorized by heart.

"Hey, Joonmyun, wassup?"

Joonmyun immediately felt his mood brighten at the sound of Jongdae's voice. "Hello, Jongdae. I was calling about the promise I made you the other day."

The line was quiet for a second before Jongdae sighed. "I'm guessing the date's cancelled?"

"I'm sorry, Jongdae. I forgot about flying out to Venocia to help them with the backlash they're experiencing."

"...Isn't that dangerous? For you to be there?"

Joonmyun could hear the fear in Jongdae's voice and it took all of his willpower not to run to where Jongdae was. "I'll be fine. Right now, it's only a small number of middle class Alpha groups. If I join forces with Venocia, it might be easier to apprehend them."

Jongdae's intake of breath echoed all the way through his line. "Okay. But be careful just in case. You'll still be able to come with me to my appointment right?"

"Yes. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Good. I'll see you then.” And in the softest of whispers, “I love you."

"I love you too."

 

* * *

 

Joonmyun couldn't keep the smile off his face the minute they entered Yesung's office. Jongdae kept glancing at him, smiling whenever he caught the look on Joonmyun's face.

"Why are you so happy?" Jongdae asked. He sat down on the bed provided and pulled Joonmyun close, linking their hands together.

"I'm a little excited to see our child again," Joonmyun admitted.

"A little?" Jongdae said with a chuckle but there was no bite in his voice. He pulled Joonmyun down for a quick kiss on the lips and said, "You're cute."

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" Doctor Kim said.

"No you're not, Doctor," Joonmyun was quick to say. "Please proceed with the examination as you would." Jongdae shot him a look, catching on his lover's excitement. He didn't get a chance to tease him as the doctor began his check up.

Yesung asked Jongdae his routine questions and then Joonmyun asked his own, mostly concerns about Jongdae and the baby’s health when he wasn’t around.

“You’re such a worry wart,” Jongdae teased.

“I can assure you, Your Highness, that Jongdae and your baby’s health are in good hands,” Yesung replied. Joonmyun nodded in gratitude, feeling the weight of his shoulders lighten a little.

“Now Jongdae, if you’ll lie down and pull up your shirt.” Jongdae did as he was told and Joonmyun stood by his side, watching Yesung prepare the ultrasound. Jongdae flinched at the cold gel and reached for Joonmyun’s hand when Yesung pressed the wand to his stomach. Deep rhythmic thumps echoed around the room. Jongdae turned wide eyes to look at Joonmyun, his mouth almost hanging open in wonder.

"Is that the baby's heartbeat?" Joonmyun asked, his heart soaring.

Yesung hummed, his eyes trained on the screen. Joonmyun could hear his heartbeat echo almost as loudly as the beats coming from the ultrasound. "Yes," he finally replied, but he had this look that turned Joonmyun’s excitement into worry.

"Is there something wrong, Doctor?"

"I'm hearing one more heartbeat," Yesung said. He fiddled with the machine, and with a furrow in his brow, the heartbeats grew louder. Both Jongdae and Joonmyun could hear it, another heartbeat. Yesung returned the wand to Jongdae's stomach and swirled it around.

"There." Yesung pointed to the ultrasound and they all saw two figures, two small but fully formed bodies.

"Is that..."

"Are those..."

"Congratulations, Your Highness, Sir Jongdae. It would seem that you have twins." Yesung smiled.

Joonmyun wrapped his arms around Jongdae in excitement, whispering his thanks and love in Jongdae’s ear. Jongdae couldn’t hold back from tearing up a little, pecking Joonmyun’s cheeks until he’d found his lips.

"How soon can we know the genders?" Joonmyun blurted out as soon as he pulled away from their embrace.

Yesung chuckled. "It's too early to tell now, but we could probably find out on your next appointment or later."

"Woah, there, wait a minute." Jongdae said. "Actually, I was thinking of waiting to find out the gender until after the birth."

Joonmyun turned to look at Jongdae so fast that he almost gave himself whiplash. Before Joonmyun could even open his mouth to say anything, Jongdae pulled out his signature puppy dog eyes that had Joonmyun giving up before he could even fight.

“Of course, that sounds like a great idea,” he eventually said.

"Great! I wanted the gender to be a surprise because we all know they're going to be alphas anyway," Jongdae said with a laugh.

"I see. Well, I guess you’re right."

“Of course, I am.” Jongdae winked at him before turning to Doctor Kim. “Can we please have a picture?"

"Yes, of course."

Once Yesung handed them the photos, the doctor finished his check up.

“I know that the discovery of twins might worry the both of you, so let me just say this now. Sedocia General is fully equipped to birth Sir Jongdae when the time comes.” Yesung turned to Jongdae and said, “As long as you eat well and take your prescribed vitamins, you and the babies will be just fine. Of course, if there are other questions or concerns you may have, you know where to contact me.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor Kim.” Joonmyun shook the doctor’s hand while Jongdae opted for a hug. With their appointment over, Joonmyun brought Jongdae back to the castle.

"I'm sorry I can't stay until tomorrow," Joonmyun said once they made their way to the library. Jongdae had agreed to finish watching the rest of Joonmyun's cartoons until he had to leave for Venocia.

"Hey, don't worry about it." Jongdae caressed his face, thumbs gently stroking the skin of his cheek. "I know you have a job to do, saving the kingdoms and all." He chuckled before placing a soft kiss on his lips. "Now, let's go make do of the time we have."

They fixed the couch with some pillows and blankets and hooked up Joonmyun's laptop to the LCD screen attached to the wall. A maid came in with some snacks and drinks before leaving them alone to enjoy their time together. Jongdae settled in between Joonmyun's legs and the older wrapped his arms around Jongdae's waist. Once comfortable, Jongdae played the video, sighing in the warmth that radiated around them.

They stayed like that until the sun bid them goodbye for the day. Joonmyun urged Jongdae to stay for the night, coaxing him with whispers of food and a warm bed.

"I'm not hard to convince, you know?" Jongdae whispered on his lips.

"Then you're staying?"

Jongdae's kiss was all the reply Joonmyun needed.

In the morning, Joonmyun woke up to Jongdae's warm body pressed against his, his small bump nudging his side. He turned to pull Jongdae closer, wrapping his arms around Jongdae’s frame. Jongdae smelled of his favorite chocolate, sweet and luscious, addicting.

After closing his eyes for a minute more, Joonmyun pushed himself to pull away, gritting his teeth until he was up and off the bed. He dressed as quickly and neatly as he could, wanting to spend a little more time admiring the man still sleeping soundly on his bed.

Joonmyun smiled and sat down at the edge of his bed. Jongdae had turned in his sleep and the blanket settled nicely over his bump. Joonmyun smiled as he reached out to feel the soft curve, whispering his own good mornings and goodbyes to the babies. Jongdae squirmed under his touch and his eyes opened just as Joonmyun looked at him.

"You leavin'?" Jongdae muttered, eyes blinking before closing again.

"Yes," Joonmyun replied, sidling closer so he could stroke Jongdae's hair.

"Take care."

"Will do." Joonmyun smiled and pressed his lips against Jongdae's cheeks. "I love you."

"I love you too."

 

* * *

 

 

 

_Six months later._

Joonmyun's heart pounded in his chest as he clenched his fists.

"Are you scared?" Jongdae whispered, eyeing his hands.

Joonmyun managed to bark out a soft chuckle. "Yes, a little."

"Don't be. It's not like you're the one giving birth."

"I know," Joonmyun said. He did. He knew Jongdae was in a condition far worse than him but he couldn't help the erratic beating of his heart or the fear creeping up his chest. He wished he could hold Jongdae's hand somehow to feel better.

"It'll be just fine, right Doc?"

Yesung appeared then, almost covered from head to toe. The only thing Joonmyun and Jongdae could see were his eyes and nose. "Yes, of course. There have been no signs of any complications so please relax, Your Highnesses."

Joonmyun nodded and smiled although it did little to settle his nerves. He opted for caressing Jongdae's face, allowing the bright lights to catch on his golden ring. Jongdae turned to him and smiled.

"Relax," he mouthed, the words barely audible. Joonmyun took a deep breath and tried.

Everything went by like a blur. As soon as Yesung began the operation, Joonmyun lost himself in keeping up with the doctors and nurses as well as checking on Jongdae's condition. Jongdae stayed quiet throughout the whole thing. Whether it was from the drugs or something else, Joonmyun wasn't quite sure.

The smell hit Joonmyun first, a candy like scent that permeated the room, tickling their senses.

"What's that?" Jongdae mumbled.

The nurses gathered around the doctor, helping him pull the baby out and then Yesung said, "It's an omega."

"What?" He met eyes with Jongdae but the other was a little too out of it to entertain Joonmyun's questions. It didn't take long before the doctor successfully extracted the baby but his smile quickly fell away when he began to present the child to the couple.

"It's a boy." Yesung sounded unsure but both Joonmyun and Jongdae could see it for themselves. Their first born was a male omega.

Before they could question or panic, Yesung put the baby in the arms of a nurse for clean up and prepared to get the next child out. Joonmyun and Jongdae didn't have time to question the circumstances as they waited with bated breath for their youngest.

The salty scent of the sea filled the emergency room and the obvious relief of the nurses and doctors could be seen once they confirmed the child was an alpha.

"It's a girl," Yesung said, presenting the child before handing it over to another nurse. He quickly stitched up Jongdae, and Joonmyun took the moment to look at their children, wrapped in different colored cloths.

"Will you be naming them, Your Highness?" the nurse asked, a clipboard in her hand.

Joonmyun's eyes widened at the question. For a moment, he couldn't remember the name combination they'd agreed on but as the seconds ticked by, he started recalling. "Jonghwa for the boy and Joonmi for the girl." The nurse nodded and wheeled the babies out of the emergency room. Joonmyun followed the movement for a second before going back to Jongdae. They'd finished stitching the incision and Yesung was preparing him to be wheeled back to his room. Joonmyun accompanied him all throughout, stayed with Jongdae and listened as the nurse instructed them on what to do when he woke up.

"Doctor Kim says he wants to speak to you soon about Baby Jonghwa, but until His Highness, Omega Prince Jongdae is feeling better, he'll save the discussion and come up with some theories for now." Once the nurse finished telling them the feeding schedule for the twins, she left Jongdae and Joonmyun. Joonmyun sat on the edge of Jongdae's bed and held his hand. He paid close attention to their ring fingers, smiling at the way the matching bands slid against each others when he twined their hands.

"Do we really have an omega baby boy?" Jongdae's eyes were wide as they looked into Joonmyun's.

"Yes. I almost couldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it for myself."

"I didn't even think that was possible," Jongdae said with a snort. "Was that possible?"

Joonmyun shook his head. "I don't know. This is the first omega born into the family. I always thought our blood was too strong that it couldn't produce any other status aside from alphas."

"I guess our Jonghwa's a miracle baby then." Jongdae cracked a smile and Joonmyun shared it, feeling the tension and worry slip away.

"It sounds like he is."

After a quiet moment, Jongdae's smile faltered and his gaze turned to their clasped hands. "You're okay with that? With your first born being an omega?"

The question surprised Joonmyun. It didn't even occur him to think about it like that. He'd been stuck on the fact that they were able to conceive a male omega that he didn't have time to think about an omega inheriting his throne. As the seconds grew, Jongdae began to frown and Joonmyun quickly tried to come up with a coherent reply.

"Yes, I'm more than fine with it actually." He tightened his hold on Jongdae's hand. "His status means nothing now other than the fact that he can bear a child." He smiled and turned Jongdae to face him. "Omega King Jonghwa sounds like a fitting title."

Jongdae's lips grew into a beautiful smile, and Joonmyun savored it for a second before pressing his lips against that smile. The nurse knocked on their door as soon as they pulled away. Two of them pushed their babies into the room, announcing to the royal couple that it was feeding time. They helped Jonghwa into Jongdae's arms, carefully undoing his hospital gown so he could nurse the baby. The other nurse helped Joonmi into Joonmyun's arms, teaching them the proper way to hold the baby as well as how to assist Jongdae when he fed.

Yesung knocked on their door just as Jonghwa latched onto a nipple. The nurse let him in as the couple were both preoccupied with their babies. Yesung threw them a nervous smile. "I've called a few specialists who’ve developed some theories as to how you may have been able to conceive Omega Prince Jonghwa. I thought maybe you would be interested in hearing them."

Although Joonmyun didn't really care for how they were able to have a miracle such as Jonghwa, he was a bit curious to find out what theories the doctor might have. He turned to look at Jongdae and the omega seemed to realize Joonmyun was waiting for his approval. Jongdae cleared his throat and nodded in Yesung's direction.

"They’re specialists whose study focuses on male omega births as the male omega population is low all over the country. They've theorized that with the omega blood running in the royal family from First Royal Family, and with your ancestors having taken on more male omegas for spouses, the dormant omega gene in Alpha King Joonmyun’s blood could have been passed on to your son. Of course, there is no evidence to prove their theory, but I think it may be the most accurate."

Joonmyun peered at his daughter and then at his son. Not only did they look different, but they smelled differently too. In his arms was an alpha and in Jongdae's arms was an omega. Joonmyun turned to Yesung and smiled. "Thank you, Doctor Kim, for that insight, but I don't think Jongdae and I will ever need a definite answer as to why we have Jonghwa. It won't change the fact that he is our son and that he is my heir."

Yesung returned the smile and nodded. "I understand." After doing some routine check-ups on Jongdae, Yesung excused himself and left the nurses to accompany the couple. When Jonghwa finished feeding, they gave him to Joonmyun so Jongdae could nurse Joonmi.

Joonmyun nestled Jonghwa in his arms and sidled closer to Jongdae. He watched their children in their arms and felt his heart swell. Jongdae looked up from where he was watching Joonmi nurse, locking eyes with Joonmyun. Joonmyun cracked a smile at the way Jongdae looked. His husband looked worn with the stress of labor, his skin a little pallid from all that had happened, but with Joonmi on his chest and that small kittenish smile tugging at the corners of his lips, Joonmyun's heart stuttered. It was like he was falling in love all over again.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too."


	16. Epilogue 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a feeling that by now you guys are _so sick_ of this fic, but fear not! this is the last and final installment. nothing comes after this anymore, i promise! ^^
> 
> with that said, i'd like to once again thank everyone for patiently waiting for this. i know it's short, and you were probably expecting something long, but this is all i really had in mind when i wanted to write this. regardless, i hope you guys will enjoy this last epilogue.
> 
> from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who gave this fic a chance, read it, kudos-ed, commented, liked. whatever interaction you gave this fic, thank you!!! each and every one of it was surely appreciated by me. ♡

Joonmyun watched as Jongdae pushed his glasses up higher on the bridge of his nose and then trapped his bottom lip in between his teeth. There was nothing more attractive than his husband full of concentration, eyes determined to examine the blueprint laid flat on the desk.

Joonmyun pushed the door of the library a little wider, giving him a better view of Jongdae seated at his desk. Five years into their marriage and Jongdae still managed to take his breath away. He sighed in bliss, a smile gracing his lips. He watched for a few more seconds before knocking on the door, making his presence known.

“Oh, hey, when did you get back?”

Joonmyun walked towards Jongdae’s desk, leaning back into it before bending down to plant a soft kiss on his forehead, then his nose, and finally, his lips.

“I got back a few minutes ago,” Joonmyun replied, still caressing Jongdae’s cheek. “I was looking for you, and then the maids told me you were here. What are you working on?”

Jongdae groaned as he leaned into Joonmyun’s touch, letting the older carry the weight of his head. “Just finalizing the layout for the new school.” Jongdae groaned some more before completely resting his head on Joonmyun’s side, burying his face in the crook of stomach. Joonmyun chuckled as he ran his fingers through Jongdae’s hair, massaging his scalp in the way that comforted his husband.

“What’s wrong?” Joonmyun asked. “You’re not usually like this every time you start a new school.”

Jongdae muffled a whine in Joonmyun’s clothes before turning his head so he could speak a little clearly. “There’ve been complaints,” Jongdae started out slow and soft, ending with a sigh. “Ever since I confirmed that we’re opening another _omega school_ , there’s been a lot of backlash on social media saying that I’m being discriminatory towards other statuses.”

Jongdae took a deep breath and sighed. He pulled Joonmyun across the desk and wrapped his arms around him. “It just makes me think if this is all worth it, if the first two schools were enough, if—if—”

“Jongdae,” Joonmyun cut Jongdae off, hands guiding Jongdae to look up at him. “You and I both know it’s not _just_ an omega school. It’s an omega specialization institute that accepts students of all statuses to help them learn more about omegas. There’s nothing discriminatory about it, and a person who says otherwise obviously doesn’t know what kind of schools you’re trying to run.” He stroked the bruised skin under Jongdae’s eyes, knowing full well the time and dedication Jongdae put into making the schools everything that they were. “The institutes were a success and that’s why the ERU, council, and I approved the third school. Have faith.”

Jongdae closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Joonmyun took this as an opportunity to plant a kiss on his forehead.

“What would I do without you?” Jongdae asked, almost breathless.

Joonmyun chuckled. “I’m almost sure you could conquer the world without me, my prince.”

“I would never,” Jongdae softly replied. “It’d be much better if we conquered the world together, my king.” He closed his eyes and leaned in.

“That would be ideal.” Joonmyun met him halfway.

“Papa! Appa!”

Jongdae chuckled into their kiss, pulling away to look at their tiny intruders, two toddlers running towards them.

“Papa! Appa!” They called again. Jonghwa and Joonmi raised their hands so their fathers could lift them up. Joonmyun and Jongdae shared a look before relenting. Jongdae took Joonmi while Joonmyun carried Jonghwa.

“Welcome home, Papa,” Jonghwa said, planting a sloppy kiss on Joonmyun’s cheek.

“Yey! Papa’s home!” Joonmi cheered, leaning towards Joonmyun so she could give him a kiss as well.

“It’s good to be back,” Joonmyun said. “But where’s Baekhyun?”

At the mention of their nanny, Jonghwa and Joonmi looked each other in the eye before laughing.

“We kind of lost him,” Joonmi tried to say in between laughter.

“No, you didn’t!” Baekhyun emerged from the door, breathless and with his hair askew. “Oh my god, Your Highness, Your Majesty, I’m so sorry.”

Jongdae hid a chuckle in Joonmi’s hair while Joonmyun just smiled in kind understanding at Baekhyun. Joonmyun had been at the receiving end of his kids’ tricks, and it was definitely not fun to chase them around the castle, not to mention how difficult it was.

“Awwww,” they both said, sporting similar pouts.

“It’s okay, Baekhyun,” Jongdae said, adjusting Joonmi on his lap. “Why don’t you go take a break and we’ll handle them?”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened. “Yes, oh my god, that’d be so great, thanks, really—” he started to say but then caught himself. He chuckled nervously and straightened himself before clearing his throat. “I mean, yes, of course, Your Highness, Your Majesty, thank you.”

This time Joonmyun chuckled, and he didn’t bother hiding his amusement. “It’s all right, Baekhyun. We keep telling you that you don’t have to be so formal when it’s just us.”

“And not to mind him,” Jongdae gestured to Joonmyun. “Because that’s just the way he talks, even when it’s just us.”

The light slump of his shoulders told them that Baekhyun was a little more relaxed. “Okay, right,” he said with a nod. “I’ll go take that break then. I’ll be back in an hour, I guess.”

“Nah,” Jongdae waved. “Take the whole night, we’ll take care of the kids. Thanks, Baekhyun.”

Baekhyun’s eyes widened, but smiled as he watched Jongdae turn all of his attention to Joonmi and Jonghwa.

“Okay then, have a good night, Jongdae, Joonmyun.” He bid the twins a short good night, and then bowed before he left.

“Does this mean we get to play with Papa and Appa all night?” Jonghwa asked, his eyes practically shining as he looked up at Joonmyun.

“Not all night because you have bedtime at nine, but we can play until dinner time.”

“Yey!” They cheered.

“What do you guys wanna do?” Jongdae asked as they both put down the twins. Amidst their scrambling and shouting of what they wanted to play, Joonmyun leaned in and whispered, “Are you sure you have time to play with them? What about work?”

Jongdae smiled at Joonmyun, placed a quick peck on his lips, and said, “I’m good. Besides, I can’t leave you fending for yourself with these two. You’ll never make it out alive.” Joonmyun knew it was the truth. Jonghwa and Joonmi have proven themselves to be quite the troublemakers, and although Joonmyun blames Jongdae’s genes, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Their children bounded over to them, grabbed them by the hand so they could all gather in the space between the desk and the first bookshelf of the library.

“Appa, appa!” Joonmi excitedly called, dragging a picture book she must’ve gotten from one of the shelves. “Read us a story!” She handed Jongdae the book and then went off to Joonmyun and told him to help make a nest of pillows on the floor which Jonghwa already started on.

Joonmyun laughed but went along, placing a blanket below the pillows so they wouldn’t sit down on the dirty carpeted floor.

Once Jonghwa and Joonmi deemed their little space to be perfect, they pulled Joonmyun down to sit in the middle and promptly placed themselves on his lap with either one of them on one thigh. Jongdae cooed at the sight while Joonmyun tried his best to balance both his children in his arms.

The soft sound of the shutter came just as Joonmyun had his arms around the twins, pulling them back to rest on him. When he looked up, Jongdae had the most beautiful smile on his face as he looked at the screen of his phone. “This one’s for keeps,” he whispered just before his eyes locked with Joonmyun’s.

 _I love you_ , Joonmyun mouthed, and when Jongdae returned the gesture, Joonmyun’s heart soared.

When Jongdae began narrating the story of the alpha prince who fell in love with the poor omega, and when his twins laughed and chattered as Jongdae went on, Joonmyun knew there was no happiness greater than this.

 

* * *

 

Once nine p.m. hit, Joonmyun and Jongdae had the kids tucked in bed, eyes droopy and yawning. After the story, they had played a good game of hide and seek, and then some more games after dinner. Now, the kids were so tired that they could barely keep their eyes open as Joonmyun and Jongdae bid them good night.

“Sweet dreams,” Jongdae whispered to both Jonghwa and Joonmi. He planted a soft kiss on their foreheads and then it was Joonmyun’s turn.

“Sleep well,” he said, kissing them both on their foreheads. By then, the twins had fallen asleep.

Joonmyun stepped back and watched as their children took calm and even breaths. Jongdae stood beside him and Joonmyun pulled him into his side, revelling in Jongdae’s warmth.

Joonmyun had spent the past week travelling from kingdom to kingdom, and after missing his family, he was glad that he’d gotten this time to spend with them.

“Let’s go?” Jongdae whispered, but he was already pulling Joonmyun out of the room. Joonmyun nodded, following along.

Once the door closed, Joonmyun tugged Jongdae’s hand to stop him from walking further ahead.

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s something I want to show you,” Joonmyun said, thumb brushing along the back of Jongdae’s hand.

Jongdae quirked an eyebrow at him. “Ohhh-kay.”

Joonmyun just smiled, but he knew it was the nervous one that never seemed to get past Jongdae. He just hoped Jongdae wouldn’t ask about it.

With Jongdae’s hand in his, Joonmyun led him to his office. Joonmyun opened the door to his now only slightly messy office, and Jongdae chuckled at the sight of it.

“If you wanted to show off your not-so-messy office, then you, my king, are in for a disappointment because this is still messy.” Jongdae flashed Joonmyun a teasing grin, squeezing the hand in his. “But that’s okay because I already knew you were the messy type and I still love you anyways.”

Joonmyun chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s not it. Come here.” He gently tugged Jongdae towards his desk where a long piece of parchment paper laid.

“What’s this?” Jongdae asked as soon as he was close enough to read it. His free hand felt the material of the paper, smoothed over the words that he wasn’t reading yet. At the head of the paper was Sedocia’s Royal Family letterhead and seal, and at the bottom of the parchment paper was the seals of the four kingdoms and the signature of all four kings.

“It’s a bill.” Joonmyun’s smile grew as Jongdae flashed him a confused look. “Technically, it _was_ a bill. Now, it’s a law.”

“Okay smarty-pants, what exactly does this law do?”

Joonmyun shook his head at Jongdae’s blatant refusal to read the contents of the paper, but he understood that it wasn’t the easiest thing to read. He took a deep breath and smiled, wrapped his arms around Jongdae’s waist and turned them to face the parchment paper.

“It’s a law allowing you to be crowned king in time for your birthday on the 21st,” Joonmyun whispered, voice soft and low, and right beside Jongdae’s ear.

“What?” Jongdae tried to turn his head to look Joonmyun in the eyes but their positions made it hard. Joonmyun smiled and tightened his hold on Jongdae, making it harder for him to turn around.

“This is your birthday present from me.” Joonmyun kissed Jongdae on his nape.

“Joonmyun,” Jongdae started, a little breathless. “What did you do?”

Joonmyun bit back a laugh at Jongdae’s panicked yet excited question. He loosened his hold on Jongdae and allowed the younger to look at him, to let their eyes meet. The disbelief in his eyes was clear as day, but there was a shine to them that told Joonmyun there was wonder and admiration in them too.

“I had the council write a bill that would allow me to crown you as the first Omega King in the country.” As Jongdae’s jaw dropped, Joonmyun continued. “You are more than deserving of the position, Jongdae, and I wanted the world to know this, to realize just how hardworking you are for the people, and sometimes, even more than I. I wanted to show my appreciation for everything you’ve done to improve the rights of omegas and betas all over the world, and I realized that by crowning you king, I could be doing this and more; I could show the world that you are my equal, that you aren’t just a lowly omega, that you are a king of Sedocia. _My_ king.”

Jongdae shook his head and then laughed, the disbelief clear in his tone, but he wrapped his arms around Joonmyun and pulled him in tight.

“I don’t know what to say,” he whispered in Joonmyun’s ear.

Joonmyun smiled, threading his fingers in Jongdae’s hair. “Tell me you’ll let me crown you king, Jongdae.”

Jongdae chuckled, his warm breath tickling Joonmyun’s neck. “I can’t believe I’m doing this, but yes, I’ll let you crown me.”

“I can’t wait.” Jongdae pulled away and cradled Joonmyun’s face. He leaned in, and just before their lips met, Jongdae whispered, “Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me,” Joonmyun replied when Jongdae pulled away, resting their foreheads against each other’s.

Jongdae just shook his head. “I guess I’m gonna have to make it up to you on Christmas. I don’t think your birthday present from me was enough.”

Joonmyun laughed, pulling Jongdae closer to him. “Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, could be better than the birthday present you gave me last May, Jongdae.”

Jongdae quirked his eyebrow at Joonmyun, but the flush in his cheeks betrayed the confidence of his look. “Was it the ribbon I tied around my neck or the ‘you could have me any way you want’ talk?”

“Neither,” Joonmyun chuckled. “It was when you told me that you were my present… and maybe the ribbon helped a little bit.” When Jongdae’s flush deepened, Joonmyun continued. “It was at that moment that I really thought how lucky I was to have you in my life, that you were _really and truly_ mine.”

“You’re so cheesy.” Jongdae buried his face in Joonmyun’s neck, hiding his embarrassment.

Joonmyun chuckled. “But you love me anyway.”

“I love you _very much_.” Jongdae echoed the sentiment with a kiss to Joonmyun’s neck, smiling as he embraced Joonmyun.

“I love you too, Jongdae, very much.” Joonmyun returned the gesture and kissed Jongdae’s temple.

They stood there just holding each other, and Joonmyun felt complete.

 

* * *

 

“We’re here in the Sedocian Royal Throne room to witness the coronation of Omega Prince Consort Jongdae. Many people have shared their thoughts on the coronation all over social media, all of them ranging from positive to negative. Despite what the overall public might have to say, the Sedocian Royal Council, the ERU, and the newly formed Assembly of Kings have all signed the bill that allowed Omega Prince Jongdae to be crowned. The law is not only being passed in Sedocia but in all kingdoms, drawing more and more public attention all over Seiocia.” The screen changed from the royal throne room to pictures of various social media posts reacting to the new law.

“Here to speak more about the matter, we have Sedocia’s Royal Advisor, Kim Minseok.” The camera turned from the newscaster to a shot of Minseok, dressed in Sedocia’s traditional clothing.

Joonmyun lowered the volume of the TV, walking towards Jongdae who paced in the room.

“Jongdae,” Joonmyun called, stopping Jongdae from barreling right into him. He slid his hands up and down Jongdae’s arms hoping it would help calm his nerves. “Take a deep breath.”

Jongdae nodded and did as he was told.

“You’re going to be fine, and I will be with you every step of the way.” Joonmyun curled his hand around Jongdae’s, squeezing to give it some warmth.

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

Jongdae stepped forward and stole a frantic kiss from Joonmyun. Joonmyun smiled into the kiss, indulging Jongdae. If it could ease his nerves, Joonmyun was willing to give it to Jongdae.

A knock on the door made them pull away. Jongdae panted, but his hands weren’t as cold anymore.

“Come in,” Joonmyun said, a little breathless.

Minseok popped in, offering a short bow to both of them. “It’s time, Your Highnesses.”

Jongdae took a deep breath and stepped away from Joonmyun, walking ahead of him. “Not yet, Minseok. I’m still ‘Your Majesty’, for now.”

Minseok smirked. “I know.”

Jongdae just shook his head and turned back, making sure that Joonmyun was following. When Joonmyun smiled at him, barely a step behind, Jongdae straightened his back and walked out of the room.

Flashes and cheers greeted them as they walked out in a single file. Joonmyun watched as Jongdae walked forward, paying no mind to the countless eyes staring at him, some of them surely waiting for him to mess up, but Joonmyun knew Jongdae would prove them wrong.

Just as they rehearsed, Jongdae sat down at the lone seat in the middle where the Head of the Royal Council, Sooman, was already waiting for them. Joonmyun took his stance right beside him, and Sooman presented the crown they had specifically made for Jongdae. Joonmyun didn’t want Jongdae to wear the crown that queens wore, he wanted Jongdae to wear a crown similar to his own. He held that crown in his hands now.

“By the power invested in me by the council, by the Alphas, Betas and Omegas of old, I crown you, Kim Jongdae, as Omega King Jongdae of Sedocia.” Joonmyun took the crown and walked behind Jongdae’s throne, lifted it high up to present it to the people. “Do you accept?”

“Yes, I, Kim Jongdae, accept.”

Joonmyun bit back the smile threatening to bloom on his lips as he put the crown on Jongdae’s head. A perfect fit.

“Bow to your people,” Joonmyun instructed. He watched as Jongdae rose and went down on his knees. The Royal Cloak that he wore moved along with him as he lowered his head, giving Joonmyun a good view of Jongdae’s grace.

“Rise, Omega King Jongdae.” When Jongdae finally stood, Joonmyun turned to his people and smiled. “Sedocia, please bow to your new king.”

Everyone present in the throne room, from guests to the royal families and representatives of the other kingdoms stood. Joonmyun watched with pride as everyone bowed. Once everyone had their head to the ground, Joonmyun turned and smiled at Jongdae before he too dropped to his knees. Even though he was king and that meant he didn’t have to bow so low, Joonmyun bowed until his head touched the ground. He could already hear the murmur of people who could see what he’d done, but he didn’t care or mind. This was Jongdae, and to Joonmyun, he deserved the respect that Jongdae had willingly given him.

When he finally stood up, Joonmyun ordered everyone to do so as well. Joonmyun clapped and everyone followed along, people already cheering. Reporters continued their broadcasts and the present royal families walked over to congratulate the newly coronated king. Joonmyun watched and made sure to keep a step back, allowing the spotlight to fall on Jongdae.

Jongdae stepped down from the stage, but before he blended in with the crowd, he turned to look at Joonmyun. Joonmyun didn’t know what for, but he smiled as encouragingly as he could, hoping Jongdae realized that he didn’t need Joonmyun’s permission or guidance. It seemed to be enough as Jongdae began walking forward, shaking hands with the Alpha Kings.

Joonmyun hoped Jongdae would realize that he would do just fine on his own because he was already every bit a king as Joonmyun was.

“Papa, papa,” his children’s voices brought him back to the present, and he looked down at their excited and confused eyes.

“Hold papa’s hands,” he told them, reaching for their hands so they could walk and greet their guests together. He shot Baekhyun a quick look, enough to tell Baekhyun that he could handle the kids for now. Baekhyun nodded, but stayed along watching in the background.

Many of the guests cooed at the children, and Joonmyun had to remind them constantly to introduce themselves. Joonmi loved the attention, but Jonghwa was still a little shy. Despite that, the young crown prince did his best to get the words out, telling people his name and title. By the time Joonmyun reached Jongdae, half of their guests had cooed at Joonmyun and the children and reporters had about a hundred photos of them. Jongdae was no longer surrounded by people, and he was walking right towards them.

“There’s my family,” he said once he was finally close enough for Joonmyun to hear. He took Jonghwa’s hand and held onto Joonmyun’s free hand with his own. He stood next to Joonmyun, side by side. “Now _this_ is better.”

Joonmyun took a look at Jonghwa on Jongdae’s right and Joonmi to his left and then his eyes met Jongdae’s.

“No, _this_ is perfect.”

“You’re so cheesy,” Jongdae said, but he was already leaning in. “I love it, I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

And when their lips met halfway, a thousand lights flashed, capturing the moment.

 

**THE END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited the fic notes and added a thing about Baekhyun to somehow make up for the fact that he didn't appear until the last epilogue. ^^;; I once again apologize for that.

**Author's Note:**

>  ****  
> [OFFICIAL FIC NOTES.](http://wheredreamslast.dreamwidth.org/25184.html)  
>   
>  **This fic has been reposted on[Dreamwidth](http://wheredreamslast.dreamwidth.org/21187.html) and [Asianfanfics](http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/1220884/love-is-just-a-daydream-suchen).**  
>  If there's anything I might've missed and forgot to say here, you can most likely find it in the official fic notes. 


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